Week in BTX: January 20, 2022
A big thanks to the state’s leading Bitcoin miners for attending a roundtable with Texas Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian and orange pilling him.
Last week I hosted a Bitcoin miners roundtable with Texas Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian and we successfully orange pilled him! Commissioner Christian is elected statewide and is on the Republican primary ballot on March 1st, 2022.
A big thanks to the state’s leading Bitcoin miners for attending the roundtable and briefing Commissioner Christian, including Chad Harris with Whinstone, Brandon Schwertner, Trent Stout and Nick Gates with Priority Power, Ray Cline and Ian Rock with Lancium, Laura Pommer with Energy Funders, Brent Whitehead with Giga Energy and a special thanks to Griffin Haby and Paden McKinney with Limpa Creek Technologies for opening their office to host us.
Why does this matter? The Texas Railroad Commission regulates the O&G industry in Texas and is in a position to advance the Bitcoin mining industry. Commissioner Christian represents Texas on the Interstate Oil & Gas Compact Commission and can leverage that to advocate for Bitcoin across the United States and Canada.
Of the statewide elected officials in Texas, US Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, Governor Greg Abbott and Commissioner Wayne Christian have all publicly supported Bitcoin. Who will be next?
General
Check out Austin based Pleb Lab’s recent update. Pleb Labs is the first of its kind Bitcoin accelerator, working with Bitcoin startups including Stacker.News, Zaprite, Oshi, Hoseki, The Bitcoin Company, Impervious, Voltage and Super Testnet.
Public Policy/Politics/Regulatory
The SEC’s Investor Advisory Committee has openings. Pro Bitcoin Commissioner Hester Peirce has called for people with extensive experience investing in crypto to apply to provide a valuable perspective on the Committee.
Today the US House Committee on Energy & Commerce’s subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations is hosting a hearing on Bitcoin’s environmental impact and the carbon footprint of crypto mining. Texas Congressman Michael Burgess from Denton County sits on this subcommittee. No publicly traded Bitcoin mining companies (or anyone from Texas) were invited to testify……
Congressional Staff briefing memo to members of the committee.
Nic Carter published an opinion piece, "Bitcoin Mining Is America's Most Misunderstood Industry” in Newsweek prior to the Congressional hearing pushing back on FUD.
Politico reports that Bitcoin is crashing the midterm elections, “Candidates are staking out positions on cryptocurrency, scrambling party lines and fanning fundraising concerns.”
Mining
Texas based Bitcoin miner Rhodium was set to IPO today with price range of $12-14 per share, but the IPO has been canceled due to market conditions.
Compass Mining’s Mitch Klee points out that Texas produced 62.6% of the TOTAL United States vented and flared natural gas in 2020.
Events
Tyler Bitcoin Meetup January 20, 2022
Austin BitDevs January 20, 2022
The Great Bitcoin Node Live Action Role-Play January 21, 2022 in Austin
Texas Blockchain Council Austin Meetup January 26, 2022
Houston Bitcoin Meetup January 27, 2022
The Texas A&M Bitcoin Club and the Mays Innovation Research Center is hosting a Bitcoin mining panel on January 26, 2022.
Austin Bitcoin Club February 3, 2022
Scott’s Crypto Mining Conference February 7-8, 2022 in Round Rock
Texas Blockchain Council Houston Meetup February 9, 2022 in TBD central Houston (details coming)
Texas Blockchain Council Sugar Land Meetup February 10, 2022 (details coming)
Austin BitDevs February 17, 2022
Austin Bitcoin Club March 3, 2022
Austin BitDevs March 17, 2022
Digital Wildcatter’s Energy + Bitcoin Mining Conference March 30-31, 2022 in Houston
Bitcoin2022 Conference April 6-9, 2022 in Miami (10% off with code TEXAS10)
Austin Bitcoin Club April 7, 2022
Consensus June 10-12, 2022 in Austin
BitBlockParty June 10, 2022 during Consensus in Austin
Coin Center Annual Dinner June 10, 2022 during Consensus in Austin
BitBlockBoom August 25-28, 2022, in Austin
LinkedIn says Bitcoin and crypto job postings grew 395% in 2021: 3x the tech industry. Have a Bitcoin related job you want to promote? Reach out!
Jobs
RIOT is hiring 5 jobs in Austin, including Associate General Counsel.
Okcoin is hiring 7 positions based in Austin.
Poolin is hiring maintenance technicians in West Texas. Commutable from Odessa, Midland, Pecos, Pyote, Monahans or Fort Stockton.
Poolin is hiring a Chief of Staff and Technical Project Manager in Austin.
Unchained Capital is hiring for 16 positions based in Austin & Dallas.
Lancium LLC is hiring for 8 position based in The Woodlands.
Rhodium is hiring for numerous positions based in Austin.
Aggie lead Giga Energy is hiring electricians.
NYDIG is hiring 2 roles in the Houston area.
Core Scientific is hiring a Data Center Site Manager in Pecos
Bitmain is hiring a Mining Farm Operation Manager in Houston
Cholla Petroleum, Inc. is hiring a bitcoin-primed financial analyst (or associate) based in Dallas
Motley Fool is hiring a Research Analyst, Digital Assets, based in Houston
Motley Fool Crypto is hiring a Freelance Writer (Remote)
Compass Mining is hiring 3 positions in Austin
Hash Haus Mining is hiring a Mobile Data Center Manager in Midland
The Blockchain Association’s job board shows 31 Texas based jobs.
People on the Move (Literally this time)
Send me your career moves!
Bitcoin Citadel
The 2,500 acre Crescent River Ranch in Liberty County is on the market. This turnkey live water ranch is located just an hour away from the Houston Bitcoin Meetup and is a recreational hunting retreat offering incredible improvements, well-watered topography, dense brush and endless recreation. Approximately three miles of Trinity River frontage flows throughout this extremely well-watered ranch and provides endless duck hunting and fishing opportunities.
To Ponder While You Wander
“This week, the House Energy and Commerce Committee will hold a hearing on the environmental impact of Bitcoin mining. Congress has of late become very concerned about the Bitcoin mining industry, which, since the Chinese ban on the practice, is increasingly domiciled in the U.S. Why worry about an industry that consumes approximately 0.55 percent of global electricity production? After all, energy associated with Bitcoin mining is roughly equivalent to the energy consumption of zinc mining and refinery, and less than the energy associated with the extraction of either copper or gold. It consumes the rough equivalent of the energy associated with running domestic tumble driers in the U.S. alone, and one fifth the energy used for domestic refrigeration.” Nic Carter in Newsweek