Project coin: Crypto environmental injustice in Pitt County, North Carolina

In the U.S., the sudden emergence of cryptocurrency investment options and the operations responsible for mining cryptocurrencies appeared swiftly and suddenly during 2021. For many local communities, the effects of such operations have not gone without notice and lead to serious environmental injustice concerns. Companies that specialize in cryptocurrency mining and other forms of digital asset acquisition and management are capable of destabilizing communities and generating negative impacts already marginalized and less affluent communities. This paper details the efforts of Project Coin in Pitt County, where local utility, economic development, and political leaders worked with Compute North to develop a local satellite data processing facility. The case demonstrates how efforts to recruit and attract the digital asset company were conducted behind closed doors with minimal consideration for how site location would have impacted the immediate and broader community in the county. Distributive, recognitional, and procedural environmental injustices are documented. Furthermore, the case highlights the extent to which this industry has created challenges in zoning decisions and appropriately assessing who truly benefits from the facilities.