Biden Orders Shutdown and Sale of Chinese-Owned Cryptocurrency Mine Near Air Force Base

On Monday, May 13, President Biden issued an executive order directing a company of Chinese origins to cease operations and divest its ownership of a cryptocurrency mine located near the F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming. The mine, which utilizes high-powered computers in a data center close to the military base, has been deemed a national security threat to the United States.

The President expressed concerns that the equipment within the cryptomining facility could pose risks related to surveillance and espionage, thus warranting the urgent action to address the potential threat to national security. Last year, Microsoft, responsible for managing a nearby data center that supports the Pentagon, raised a red flag about the Chinese-linked cryptocurrency mine to the federal Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.

Microsoft's Warning

In October, The New York Times reported that Microsoft's alert highlighted the possibility of the Chinese using the mine for comprehensive intelligence collection activities. The federal committee's subsequent investigation supported these claims, leading to the issuance of the executive order by the President.

Although the specific risks were not outlined in the President's order, the concerns raised by Microsoft alluded to the significant threat vectors posed by the substantial computing power of the cryptomining operation and the presence of unidentified Chinese nationals in close proximity to a strategic missile base in the United States.