Hawkins County, Tennessee passes ban prohibiting crypto mining facilities and data centers in unincorporated areas

Hawkins County Commissioners in Tennessee, USA, have passed a ban with a vote of 12 in favor and 0 against, prohibiting the establishment, construction, installation, expansion, and operation of crypto mining facilities and data centers in the county's unincorporated areas. The commission had previously passed a similar ban in September 2025 to prevent digital asset company ExoticRidge from conducting mining operations locally, and confirmed its relevant authority through a resolution in January. ExoticRidge and Hawkins County officials proposed a settlement in January that would allow the company to build and operate facilities under noise restrictions. The proposed terms require that A-weighted decibel noise at the property boundary must not exceed 80 decibels for more than 30 minutes within any 4-hour period. A law signed in Tennessee in April has already stipulated that, effective July 1, the use and installation of cryptocurrency ATMs and kiosks will be illegal, with the restrictions targeting incidents where residents use the devices to transfer funds to scammers.