Week in BTX: Thursday March 10, 2022
SXSW is set to take over ATX for the next 10 days and crypto, blockchain, NFTs, DOAs & Ripple are taking center stage.....
SXSW is set to take over Austin for the next 10 days and crypto, blockchain, NFTs, DOAs and Ripple are taking center stage, while Bitcoin is being left out of the limelight.
Thankfully the good people at Unchain Capital, Bitcoin Commons and Pleb Labs have stepped up and are hosting events throughout the week.
As Houstonian Mario Guiterrez said “Bitcoin, not blockchain, crypto, NFTS. or Web 3.”
Do your part to orange pill an out of town hipster! List of unofficial SXSW Bitcoin events below in the events section.
General
Northwest Arkansas is offering tech professionals $10,000 in Bitcoin and a bike to relocate to the area for at least one year. Texas continues to offer professionals of all backgrounds a pro business and pro Bitcoin regulatory environment and no state income tax! And you know, living in Texas, not Arkansas…..
Public Policy/Politics/Regulatory
The Biden Administration released a much anticipated/feared Executive Order that directs federal agencies to study the crypto industry and report on regulatory authority. This is a major step forward for the industry and sets up future battles over federal action on Bitcoin mining energy use and a potential US CBDC.
US Senator Ted Cruz says a US CBDC is a “terrible idea.”
The US Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network admits that “large scale sanctions evasion using convertible virtual currency (CVC) by a government such as the Russian Federation is not necessarily practicable…”
The Bitcoin Policy Institute released a 59 page research report assessing Bitcoin as a strategic opportunity for the U.S., arguing that Bitcoin will help drive jobs and growth in the US, counter China on the world stage and promote American values. TLDR tweet thread here.
City of Austin Mayor Steve Adler today is announcing Austin as a leader in Blockchain and Web3 development and innovation alongside industry leaders, including Capital Factory CEO Joshua Baer, Consensus/Coindesk’s Brad Spies and Council member Mackenzie Kelly.
City of Austin Mayor Steve Adler and Council member Mackenzie Kelly are each introducing crypto resolutions at the March 24 City Council meeting.
Mayor Adler’s resolution explores how Austin can help create an environment that fosters creativity, diversity, and further innovation in blockchain technology. Council member Kelly’s resolution asks the City Manager to study what would be required for the city to accept a payment of Bitcoin or other cryptocurrency and possible ways for the city to use those funds to address public service needs.
Mining
VanEck has unveiled a new ETF focused on the Bitcoin mining space with a total of 25 holdings, led by RIOT, weighted at 11.41%, Hut 8 Mining at 8.81%, and Marathon Digital Holdings weighted at 8.27%.
Northern Data announced its selection of Oklahoma for its North American Operational Headquarters and a strategic partnership with the State of Oklahoma, Grand River Dam Authority and MidAmerica Industrial Park to invest up to $275 million in a 250 MW Bitcoin mining operation with 70,000 ASIC
What a lead by Fortune Magazine re Chad Harris and RIOT/Whinstone: “Meet the ‘King of Bitcoin Mining’—an ex-landscaper who is building crypto’s promised land in Texas.”
Hashrate Index says that publicly traded Texas Bitcoin Miners earned fewer Bitcoin in February 2022 than January 2022 with production hampered by hashrate growth and winter storm related shutdowns.
Blockmetrix, founded by three Dallas area investors, announced the closing of a $43 million funding round. The money will be used to secure 5,000 or more Bitcoin mining rigs and move its mining operation from Oklahoma to Texas, with plans to eventually go public.
Bitcoin miner Hive announced a supply agreement with Intel for its next generation ASIC miners and deliveries will start in the 2nd half of 2022. Hive also disclosed a deal with Compute North to deploy a 100 MW mining operation in Texas utilizing green energy.
Bitstream Mining’s parent company Agora Digital Holdings has plans to IPO according to a prospectus filed with the SEC. Bitstream has signed a letter of intent with a power broker to obtain 12 MW of electricity in west Texas, and is expecting to buy another 48 MW in the next six to 12 months. The company sent $2.4 million a power management firm, including a downpayment to an energy supplier. Wonder if a certain Texas based power management firm that dominates the Bitcoin mining business is involved?
Core Scientific’s $200 million Bitcoin mining deal with Denton Municipal Electric, the city’s owned and operated power utility, is drawing scrutiny from BuzzFeedNews.
Soluna Computing, Inc. filed paper work with the SEC stating it is developing “Project Dorothy,” a 50 MW Bitcoin mining operation near Lubbock expected to be online in Q1 2022. The facility will buy the majority of a nearby windfarm’s excess energy. Props to Soluna’s PR team for building a public facing website that describes what it is doing and where its energy is coming from.
Digital Wildcatters is bringing Bitcoin Mining to the Energy Capital of the World.
Empower will be the first bitcoin mining event with a focus on energy — bringing together energy, mining, finance, and other professionals in the city that powers the world. We are shutting down the streets in Houston for an iconic two-day event at 8th Wonder Brewery, where you will get to learn and network with energy producers, capital groups, miners, and other builders in the space.
Use code BTC-NEWS to get $50 off your purchase at checkout.
Events
Midland Bitcoin Genesis Meetup March 10 (Genesis
San Antonio Bitcoin Genesis Meetup March 10
SATSxSW events March 10-20, 2022 in Austin around SXSW
Pleb Labs Hackathon March 12-13 in Austin around SXSW
Fort Bitcoin Meetup March 15 in Fort Worth
McKinney Bitcoin Meetup March 16
SXSW edition of Austin BitDevs March 17, 2022
Bitcoin Takeover at SXSW March 18 at Bitcoin Commons in Austin
Texas Blockchain Council Austin Happy Hour March 28
Digital Wildcatter’s Energy + Bitcoin Mining Conference March 30-31, 2022 in Houston ($50 of tickets with code BTC-NEWS)
Bitcoin 2022 Conference April 6-9, 2022 in Miami (10% off with code TEXAS10)
Austin Bitcoin Club April 7, 2022
Texas Beef (and Bitcoin) Initiative Conference April 23-24, 2022 in Kerrville
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
Texas Blockchain Summit November 18, 2022 in Austin SAVE THE DATE
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
TMGcore is hiring a Mine Manager - Crypto Mining Environment in Plano
Cormint Data Systems (Fort Bocks) is hiring a Data Center Technician in Fort Stockton
US Bitcoin Corp is hiring a Computer Repair Technician in Pecos.
Frontier Mining is hiring a data center technician in Midland
Bitmain is hiring a data center operator in Rockdale.
Lighting Capital is hiring its first employee, an experienced Go developer to help Lightning node operators manage their Bitcoin capital.
Rhodium is hiring 4 positions in Austin and Temple and an armed security officer in Rockdale.
Satoshi Energy is hiring 5 positions in Austin.
Argo Blockchain is hiring Security Guards, Blockchain Mining Technicians, Facility Cooling Engineers and Facility Electrical Engineers for its west Texas facility.
Compute North is hiring Field Technicians in Grandbury and Site Operations Manager in McCamey.
RIOT is hiring 4 positions in Austin, including Associate General Counsel.
Okcoin is hiring 3 positions based in Austin.
Poolin is hiring maintenance technicians and journeyman electricians in west Texas and corporate positions in Austin
Unchained Capital is hiring for 16 positions based in Austin & Dallas.
Lancium LLC is hiring for 7 position based in The Woodlands.
NYDIG is hiring 6 roles in the Houston area.
Compass Mining is hiring 3 positions in Austin
The Blockchain Association’s job board shows 63 Texas based jobs.
People on the Move
Targeted Victory, a DC based national center-right digital consulting firm, launched crypto practice, poaching two key Congressional staffers, Josh Arnold from Senator Cynthia Lummis office who started the Senate Financial Innovation Caucus, and Tiffany Angula who helped start up the Congressional Blockchain Caucus.
Bitcoin Citadel
The 4,163± acre Red River Farm is on the market and has over three miles of Red River frontage on the Texas-Oklahoma border. The farm has crop production, including alfalfa, cotton, soybean and wheat grass production, and excellent duck hunting and an abundance of native species such as Whitetail deer, hogs, turkey and dove.
To Ponder While You Wander
Study "implications for energy policy, including as it relates to grid management and reliability, energy efficiency incentives and standards, and sources of energy supply." - President Joe Biden’s Executive Order on crypto