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US blocks China-linked cryptominers as “national security risk” near nuclear base
President Joe Biden ordered a cryptocurrency mining facility near Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming to halt operations on Monday, calling it a threat to national security.
The White House order said the British Virgin Islands company was behind MineOnewhich is majority-owned by Chinese citizens, must remove all improvements and mining equipment from the property located about a mile from the military installation in Cheyenne – a base that houses Minuteman III nuclear missiles.
The company, which purchased the property in 2022, was accused of acquiring the land and starting work on it without going before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), and a complaint initiated an investigation into this acquisition, according to White Casa.
The order, which also authorized the U.S. Attorney General to “take all necessary steps” to enforce it, cited the “presence of specialized equipment on the property used to conduct cryptocurrency mining operations, some of which is of foreign origin.” and present significant national security concerns,” according to a related statement of the Treasury Department.
The measure “highlights the critical watchdog role that CFIUS plays in ensuring that foreign investment does not harm our national security, particularly as it relates to transactions that pose a risk to sensitive U.S. military installations, as well as those involving equipment and specialized technologies”, said the Secretary of State. Treasury Janet Yellen said in a statement.
MineOne did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent via the company’s website.