Click Here Crypto in Kentucky: The next extraction
Jan 6, 2026
Local leaders from eastern Kentucky, including Anna Weitz and Colby Kirk, delve into the region's challenging transition from coal to cryptocurrency mining. They discuss how the state's infrastructure lured miners but may not usher in lasting prosperity. Skepticism rises as residents question the sustainability of boom-and-bust cycles. The conversation also highlights the ambitious but cautious push for AI data centers, raising concerns about the strain on local resources. Amidst hopes tied to rising Bitcoin prices, the community remains wary of repeating past mistakes.
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Coal Infrastructure Reused For Crypto
- Eastern Kentucky's crypto boom repurposed coal infrastructure like substations and power lines for energy-hungry Bitcoin mining.
- The region's mining identity made residents receptive to a new extraction industry framed as economic salvation.
Historical Extraction Breeds Local Distrust
- Coal companies historically bought land cheaply, profited massively, and left communities with environmental damage and broken economies.
- That history shapes deep local mistrust toward outside 'job creators.'
Bitcoin Mining's Massive Energy Pull
- Bitcoin mining demands massive electricity because it's a brute-force race of computers solving math puzzles.
- Miners chase the cheapest power worldwide, which pushed many operations into Kentucky after China's 2021 ban.