CHANNING, TEXAS:A $6 million Bitcoin mine located in Channing, Texas, is now under scrutiny for its connections to China. The majority owner of the facility, 23-year-old Chinese student Jerry Yu, is being investigated due to alleged Chinese investment in cryptocurrency mines within the United States.
The mine, consisting of several dozen buildings designed to accommodate 6,000 specialized computers, operates tirelessly to decode sequences of numbers, generating new Bitcoins. Interestingly, this expansive computing center was acquired using cryptocurrency.
Jerry Yu’s involvement has raised concerns, particularly regarding national security, amid allegations of Chinese investors utilizing crypto mines in the US to generate cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, which can then be converted into US dollars on exchanges.
Yu’s activities came into focus following legal troubles faced by his company, BitRush Inc. (also known as BytesRush), after contractors working on the Channing mine claimed they were not adequately compensated for their work.
The report points out that the source of funds for the mine remains undisclosed, as investors channeled money through Binance’s offshore exchange and utilized the cryptocurrency Tether.
Moreover, the Channing mine is suggested to serve as a means for Chinese investors to bypass the US banking system and federal regulations. Traditional transactions through banks typically involve transparency about the source of funds, allowing for scrutiny and reporting of suspicious money transfers to the US Treasury.
In a lawsuit involving Jerry Yu, Crypton Mining Solutions in Texas has alleged that investors in the Channing mine are not only Chinese citizens but also individuals holding significant political and influential business positions.