KUAR | By Josie Lenora
In DeWitt last year, a series of computers lined up in a space just smaller than a football field cropped up on an open plain on the edge of the town.
Crypto mines are large groups of computers designed to generate cryptocurrency. They are made up of rows of humming metal boxes.
The mines are controversial. The New York Times has reported crypto mines aren't great for the environment, all the mines in America could together power 1.5 million homes. Reports have linked some crypto mines to China and the Chinese government, making some residents squeamish. Sometimes animals run when they are turned on.
But for many people, the issue is just the noise.
Josie Lenora/Little Rock Public Radio
A crypto mine in DeWitt in January. The barriers around the mine sustained mild storm damage.