- Fort Worth, Texas has become the first city government in the U.S. to mine bitcoin.
- The city has accepted a donation of three S9 miners from the Texas Blockchain Council, in partnership with Luxor Technologies and Rhodium Enterprises.
- Fort Worth will run a trial period of six-months as they learn the industry in hopes to become a leading hub for mining.
Fort Worth, Texas has officially become the first city government in the U.S. to mine bitcoin today. Three S9 bitcoin mining rigs will be deployed to run 24/7 in a closed environment on a private network operated by the Information Technology Solutions Department Data Center located at Fort Worth City Hall.
The S9 bitcoin miners were donated by the bitcoin and blockchain advocacy group, Texas Blockchain Council. The donation has formally been accepted today.
“With blockchain technology and cryptocurrency revolutionizing the financial landscape, we want to transform Fort Worth into a tech-friendly city,” said Mayor of Fort Worth, Mattie Parker.
“Today, with the support and partnership of the Texas Blockchain Council, we’re stepping into that world on a small scale while sending a big message – Fort Worth is where the future begins,” Parker continued.
The program starts with only the three machines so the city of Fort Worth can monitor performance, energy requirements, and familiarize itself with the process of bitcoin mining over a six-month period.
Fort Worth estimates that the individual energy required to mine bitcoin from each of the mining rigs will be equal to that of a household vacuum cleaner, according to the release. This nominal energy-usage is expected to be offset by the profits obtained from mining bitcoin.
Fort Worth is positioning itself to operate from within the bitcoin mining industry as a participant in order to learn the needs of the industry:
“Texas is increasingly being recognized as the global leader in Bitcoin and blockchain, and Fort Worth will have a seat at that table. The pioneering spirit is alive and well in Fort Worth, and with this program we will attract dynamic companies that share in this vision for the future,” said Robert Sturns, Fort Worth’s director of economic development.
Lee Bratcher, president and co-founder of the Texas Blockchain Council, praised the city for its decision to mine bitcoin and gave a favorable outlook to the future of Fort Worth.
“By starting small to learn as they go, Fort Worth is positioning itself to be the bitcoin mining capital of Texas. The state as a whole has already established itself as the bitcoin mining capital of the world,” said Bratcher.
Bratcher also noted the support and advice from Luxor Technologies and Rhodium Enterprises who provided strategic guidance that brought this project to fruition. Alex Brammer, VP of business development at Luxor, discussed Luxor’s excitement to be part of Fort Worth’s initial step into bitcoin mining.
“Luxor is providing pool services and technical consultation to the Fort Worth team, and we’ve been impressed with their thoroughness and the speed with which they have been able to get their initial mining operation up and running,” said Brammer.
Brammer continued to praise the nimbleness of the city and its ability to quickly incorporate the processes needed to operate a mining facility. Brammer closed his thoughts with a colorful caricature of the mayor and her team saying they “have certainly been helping to redefine ‘moving at the speed of government,’ further solidifying Fort Worth as one of the most innovative cities in the country.”
Watch the live stream today as Mayor Parker officially deploys the miners here at 2: 30 p.m CST.
At 2: 45 p.m CST you can engage in a live Twitter Spaces hosted by Mayor Parker and the Texas Blockchain Council.
