Tennessee County Bans Crypto Mining, Data Centers Again

Hawkins County commissioners voted unanimously 12-0 on Monday to ban the establishment, construction, installation, expansion and operation of cryptocurrency mining facilities and data centers in unincorporated areas of the county.

The ordinance makes it unlawful for companies to build or run mining operations or related data-center projects on county land outside municipal boundaries.

The prohibition is the county’s second. Commissioners enacted an earlier ban in September 2025 after planning efforts by ExoticRidge to open a mining facility in the county.

In January the commission passed a resolution affirming its authority to regulate mining and data-center activity and county leaders later negotiated a proposed settlement with ExoticRidge. Under the settlement the company would have been allowed to construct and operate a facility if it met a noise limit of no more than 80 A-weighted decibels at the property line for more than 30 minutes during any four-hour period.

A Tennessee law signed in April made the use and installation of cryptocurrency ATMs and kiosks illegal effective July 1, citing incidents in which residents, particularly older adults, used the machines to transfer funds to scammers.

County officials described the restrictions as measures to regulate land use and address community concerns about noise and other impacts in unincorporated areas. The commission’s vote was unanimous.