Small Texas Town Tries (and Fails) to Block Noisy Bitcoin Miners with Big Dreams

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In a dusty corner of Hood County, Texas, a small group of folks had a big idea. They thought, “Hey, let’s make ourselves a city! That should shut down the noise from that darn Bitcoin mining place.” Sounds like a plan, right? Well, it didn’t quite pan out. Only 38% of 138 voters were on board with turning their tiny patch of land into the city of “Mitchell Bend,” a quiet (and rather small) town of about 600 souls. And here we are, still listening to the hum of 60,000 Bitcoin miners securing a $2 trillion network. Yikes.

For years now, the residents have been losing their peace-and their sanity-thanks to the never-ending noise from MARA’s machines. Sleepless nights? Check. Headaches? Check. Hearing problems? Oh, definitely. Some folks have even packed up and left, heading for places that don’t sound like the inside of a jet engine. MARA tried to help by building a 24-foot wall and swapping out some of its noisy cooling fans for quieter liquid systems. But, as you can guess, the noise is still there, louder than ever.

Undeterred by the crushing defeat at the ballot box, the locals are still plotting. After all, Hood County has nearly 70,000 people, and Mitchell Bend is just a teeny tiny sliver of that. It’s like David vs. Goliath, but David’s using earplugs and Goliath is a Bitcoin miner with a wall.

MARA Throws a Fit and Files a Lawsuit

In true corporate style, MARA wasn’t having it. They didn’t just roll over and let democracy take its course. Nope. They sued to block the vote, claiming that turning Mitchell Bend into a city would “harm” their operations. Oh, and tax them out of business. Always the drama, right? Fortunately for the townsfolk, the judge didn’t buy it. But, in the end, MARA wasn’t too bummed about the vote.

“We’re pleased that Hood County voters saw through the sham incorporation effort and rejected it at the ballot box.”

Keep Fighting for Peace, Hood County!

Despite the loss, local resident Danny Lakey isn’t throwing in the towel. “We took a loss here, sure,” he said, “but we’ll keep pushing. We won’t let these machines take over our lives.” You’ve got to admire the resolve of these folks. Even though they’ve tried everything-from suing MARA for noise violations to holding their breath every time they hear a buzz-they’re not giving up yet. If only they could bottle that determination and sell it as a noise-canceling solution.

On the other side of the country, in Arkansas, Vilonia’s planning commission shut down a crypto mining facility proposal. Looks like some people still know how to say “enough’s enough.” Maybe Hood County will find its moment too. For now, though, it’s a battle of wills-and sound frequencies.

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2025-11-06 05:48