The U.S. government has begun releasing thousands seized crypto-mining machines made in China, although most remain behind bars. Reuters reported Wednesday.
This follows months of seizures in ports across the country, which were initiated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency citing the Federal Communications Commission’s requests to enforce existing regulations.
Decrypt The FCC has been contacted to find out more.
Trade tensions have risen since President Donald Trump’s actions to protect American companies from Chinese tech in certain sectors. Tariffs against China There are several countries.
These agencies are aligned with You can find out more about it here. The Bureau of Industry and Security of the U.S. Department of Commerce stipulates regulations for engaging “advanced semiconductors” Typically used in AI, cryptography and other fields. “prevent diversion” Such material resources are used to promote Chinese interests.
BlockspaceA publication focusing on the industry Bitcoin Mining First, we have hardware reported In November of last year, the first models targeted were those from Bitmain a private Chinese company.
In February of this year, U.S. federal agencies began seizing hardware manufactured by MicroBT and Canaan.
Some machines were detained because they contained AI chips made by Sophgo. This Chinese company is under trade restrictions. Blockspace reported.
The release of up to 10,000 machines was delayed at different entry points in the U.S., and some retailers claim that they had seized equipment worth over $5,000,000.
When the equipment was first tagged, it read: “seized and subject to forfeiture” Follow U.S. Legal codes The authorities can restrict or prohibit such products at their discretion.
These seizures created major operational challenges for U.S. miners, who depend on equipment upgrades regularly to remain competitive.
According to a report by, U.S. mining pools account for 43.8% (or hashrate) of Bitcoin’s network, which is second only to China at 45.8%. Hashrate Index
Sebastian Sinclair is the editor