On Monday, April 25, members of the New York State Assembly are scheduled to vote on a bill proposing to ban all cryptocurrency mining activities in the state.
The bill would amend the New York State Environmental Protection Act “to establish a moratorium on cryptocurrency mining operations that use proof-of-work authentication to verify blockchain transactions.”
The bill refers to the disastrous environmental impact of cryptocurrency mining.
If the law passes, New York will become the first U.S. state to ban mining.
The state has now launched Project Protect Bitcoins, which is running a public online campaign. The campaign invites the cryptocurrency community in New York to contact their local representative and explain why they oppose the bill. The advocacy group warns that banning cryptocurrency mining in New York could set a precedent for other U.S. states to do the same.