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- 1 Two of the employees were fired by the company in charge of maintenance.
- 2 Reports indicate the event does not threaten the security of the court’s data.
Ventilation ducts in the Supreme Administrative Court of Poland located in Warsaw were found hosting hidden crypto mining rigs. Polish news channel TVN24 reported that investigations regarding the matter are underway. The court’s president has decided to part ways with the company responsible for electricity maintenance of the building.
No One Has Been Charged in The Case As of Now
Two of the employees who were in charge of the maintenance of that part of the building were fired according to TVN24. The Judicial Information Department of the Supreme Administrative Court’s chairman, Judge Sylwester Marciniak, confirmed the findings to the news channel. The reports also indicate the event does not threaten the security of the court’s data.
As of now, no charges have been brought against anyone as per the report. The proceedings were initiated according to a clause of Article 278 of the Penal Code which deals with theft. Crypto mining is considered an energy-intensive process that is harmful to the environment.
Bitcoin (BTC) is currently the largest cryptocurrency by market cap. Proof-of-Work (PoW) consensus mechanism requires complex mathematical problems to be solved to mine cryptocurrencies. A miner needs to leverage advanced machines to carry out such operations. The devices found in the court are reportedly capable of consuming electricity worth hundreds to several thousand Polish zlotys per month.
According to the latest data, Bitcoin consumes nearly 95 TWh of energy. It accounts for nearly 70 percent of overall electricity consumption by the crypto industry. As of now, the United States serves as the hub for crypto miners. Before 2021, China had the title but the blanket ban on all crypto activities has shifted the balance since.
The court has appointed experts from different sectors to get a hold of accurate estimations regarding the crypto mining rigs energy consumption. Poland released a form dubbed PIT-38 (personal income tax) for reporting crypto taxes by Polish residents.
For many countries, the legality of cryptocurrencies remains unclear to this date. Regulators do not perceive these assets as safe financial vehicles. Trading crypto is legal in the US, however, the sector is always under tight scrutiny by regulators like the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
Crypto miners are preparing for BTC halving, a recurring event causing mining difficulty to increase, which is due next year. Analysts speculate the asset will rise in value following the event. As of now, Bitcoin trades at $36,299. The virtual currency reached around $69K in 2021.
High returns often cause crypto miners to add extra equipment to mine more. This, in turn, increases energy consumption and carbon emissions.
Anurag is working as a fundamental writer for The Coin Republic since 2021. He likes to exercise his curious muscles and research deep into a topic. Though he covers various aspects of the crypto industry, he is quite passionate about the Web3, NFTs, Gaming, and Metaverse, and envisions them as the future of the (digital) economy. A reader & writer at heart, he calls himself an “average guitar player” and a fun footballer.
