A neighborhood’s cryptocurrency mine: ‘Like a jet that never leaves’

Cryptocurrency mining brought constant noise to this remote part of Appalachia

Story by Kevin Williams
Produced by Rekha Tenjarla
Aug. 31 at 1:01 p.m.

MURPHY, N.C. — It’s midnight, and a jet-like roar is rumbling up the slopes of Poor House Mountain. Except there are no planes overhead, and the nearest commercial airport is 80 miles away. ... The sound is coming from a cluster of sheds at the base of the mountain housing a cryptocurrency data center, operated by the San Francisco-based firm PrimeBlock. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, powerful computers perform the complex computations needed to “mine,” or create, digital currencies. And those noise-generating computers are kept cool by huge fans.

“It’s like living on top of Niagara Falls,” said Mike Lugiewicz, whose home lies less than 100 yards from the mine. ... “When it’s at its worst, it’s like sitting on the tarmac with a jet engine in front of you. But the jet never leaves. The jet never takes off. It’s just annoying. It’s just constant annoyance,” he said.

After China cracked down on cryptocurrency mining last year, dozens of cryptocurrency companies and hundreds of independent miners set up operations in sparsely populated parts of the United States, lured by the availability of cheap and plentiful power. ... But they have been followed in some areas by noise complaints against the computers and the fans, leading to lawsuits and community action and sharply dividing local populations. ... Across America, there are relatively few standards for noise pollution.

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For Gene Johnson, 80, who served 40 years in the Navy as a gunner and engine room officer, the noise has intruded on a retirement he had hoped to spend playing music with friends.





TOP: Gene Johnson, 80, is retired and living in Murphy. ABOVE: A crypto mine in Murphy on July 21. (Mike Belleme For The Washington Post)

His home on Beaver Ridge Trail is just a quarter-mile from the mine. Though he’s hard of hearing from his years as a gunner, he says, the sound is still overpowering.

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CORRECTION

An earlier version of this article identified Sofia Coon as a spokesperson for Core Scientific. She works for Wachsman, a communications firm representing Core Scientific, and does not work for Core Scientific directly. The article has been updated.

About this story

Writing by Kevin Williams. Additional reporting by Maddy Alewine. Design and development by Rekha Tenjarla, Shikha Subramaniam and Matt Callahan. Photography by Mike Belleme. Photo editing by Haley Hamblin. Audio editing by Robin Amer. Audio mixing by Sean Carter. Editing by Suzanne Goldenberg. Copy editing by Martha Murdock. Additional editing and production by Jenna Pirog and Marian Chia-Ming Liu.

Produced by Rekha Tenjarla
Rekha Tenjarla is a senior creative technologist specializing in experimental storytelling and emerging technologies at The Washington Post. Twitter https://twitter.com/rekhatenjarla