City of Fort Worth accepts donation of newer machine to continue bitcoin mining

Fort Worth City Council is getting a new machine to mine bitcoin that is more energy efficient than the existing machines at City Hall.

City Council voted June 14 to accept the donation of the new machine from the nonprofit Texas Blockchain Council. It will replace the three machines the city received from the nonprofit in April.

The s19 bitcoin mining machine, valued at about $9,000, can produce about three times the amount of bitcoin using 900 watts less than the three older machines combined, according to a council memo. The new machine also will require less service, the memo stated.

Bitcoin is a type of digital money that can be exchanged between users on the internet, according to Coinbase, a company that provides a platform for the cryptoeconomy.

In April, Fort Worth became the first city in the U.S. to mine bitcoin with the donation of the previous machines.

A resolution unanimously approved by City Council to accept the latest donation states that council wants to continue to be a leader within the local government sector for cryptocurrency. This donation, according to the resolution, shows the city is “welcoming and encouraging the growth of blockchain and cryptocurrency companies in Fort Worth and ... demonstrating how newer technologies can result in greater energy and productive efficiency.”