Indiana Police Recover Stolen Bitcoin Mining Rigs—And $75K Worth of Frozen Turkeys

Police in Indiana have recovered 1,000 Bitcoin mining machines stolen from a hijacked cargo of cargo in a semi-trailer in Grant County earlier this month—and, in an uncommon twist, additionally stopped the theft of $75,000 value of frozen turkeys throughout the identical investigation.

The mining gadgets, value round $700,000, belonged to Your Selection Finest Ever, a crypto mining agency with operations within the state. The corporate reported the theft on Oct. 2. It didn’t reply to requests for remark from Decrypt on whether or not it additionally had any connection to the purloined poultry.

In a Fb submit Monday, the Grant County Sheriff’s Workplace stated detectives tracked the stolen cargo to the Chicago space, and coordinated the restoration of the mining rigs final week. No arrests have but been made, however the investigation includes “worldwide felony members.”



Locals discovered humor within the weird pairing of Bitcoin miners and frozen turkeys. Feedback on social media ranged from puns about police “gobbling up the costs” to jokes about utilizing the ice-cold turkeys to chill overheating servers.

Mining operations expanded into areas just like the Midwest following a 2021 ban on mining in China. At its top, China dominated the Bitcoin mining trade, accounting for greater than three-quarters of worldwide exercise—however the ban dispersed miners internationally, resulting in new hubs within the U.S. and past. Based on an article printed earlier this 12 months in Nature, the U.S. now accounts for 38% of worldwide Bitcoin mining.

“Globally, the mining hotspots at the moment are Texas, elements of the U.S. Midwest, the Nordic area, the Caucasus, and more and more Latin America,” Kadan Stadelmann, chief expertise officer at Komodo Platform, advised Decrypt. “Anyplace with low cost, steady, and sometimes renewable energy.”

The corporate which owns the stolen machines, Your Selection Finest Ever, is typical of the pattern of China-based miners transferring overseas. It as soon as operated blockchain mining amenities in Sichuan, Xinjiang, and Yunnan in China earlier than the mining ban. Based in 2014, the corporate’s web site, which seemingly hasn’t been up to date in years, claims it now has mining websites in Indiana and Mississippi.

But the speedy rise of mining operations has stirred debate in communities the place they’re positioned. Opponents cite excessive vitality consumption and noise air pollution as main issues, whereas supporters argue that mining brings jobs, funding, and tax income.

“Some issues are completely legitimate,” Stadelmann beforehand advised Decrypt. “The trade hasn’t all the time communicated nicely about its vitality combine or group impression.”

He argued the hot button is to cease working in isolation and begin exhibiting tangible native advantages like jobs, tax income, and assist for renewable build-outs. “The reply isn’t denial, it’s transparency and innovation,” he stated.