Catenaa, Thursday, March 06, 2025- US authorities have begun releasing thousands of seized Chinese-made Bitcoin mining machines after months of detainment, though most remain in custody, Reuters reported Wednesday.
The seizures, carried out at ports nationwide by US Customs and Border Protection, followed Federal Communications Commission (FCC) directives aimed at enforcing trade regulations and curbing Chinese technological influence.
Initially targeting Bitmain models in late 2024, the crackdown expanded in February to include mining rigs from MicroBT and Canaan, with some flagged for containing AI chips from Chinese firm Sophgo, which is under trade restrictions.
Up to 10,000 machines were held at US entry points, with affected retailers estimating losses exceeding $5 million. The situation has disrupted mining operations in the US, which holds a 43.8% share of Bitcoin’s global hashrate, second only to China’s 45.8%, per Hashrate Index data.
The ongoing releases come amid broader US efforts to regulate advanced semiconductors and prevent their potential use in supporting Chinese interests.
