Mysterious solar panel devices that were discovered by US authorities on the property managed by the Forest Service and the University of Utah have been associated with crypto mining activities.
The solar devices were discovered on public lands a year ago with just a few at the time, but the antennas have now multiplied because about a dozen of them were discovered around the University of Utah.
News specialist Michael Locklear reported on KSLTV, that there are no explanations for why the antennas are present in those areas, with only speculations on what they are. The antennas have, however, been withheld by the American authorities with the hope of getting clues on what they were being used for.
Tyler Fonarow, Salt Lake’s recreational trail manager said the seized devices consist of a locked battery box, a solar panel, and an antenna. Fonarow stated that he hopes to educate people about the fact that items cannot simply be left or installed on public lands.
Furthermore, Funarow stated that the antennas could be used to generate revenue for cryptocurrency and relaying networks, and thus should be stopped before it becomes a dumping ground for dozens of additional antennas.
Salt Lake City public lands officials hiked up the snowy Twin Peaks trail today to remove a mysterious device (solar panel, antenna & locked battery box). They're finding more in the foothills, with no explanation as to who's putting them there — or why. Story on @KSL5TV at 6 pic.twitter.com/llfFXMOyLq
— Michael Locklear (@MichaelLocklear) January 5, 2023
Coincidentally, some Twitter users said the device are likely Helium Miner units when Locklear posted pictures of the antennas on Twitter.
New York Bans Proof-of-Work Crypto Mining
Proof of work (PoW) is a type of cryptographic consensus mechanism used by many blockchain networks to validate transactions and add new blocks to the chain. In PoW-based systems, miners compete to solve complex mathematical problems and are awarded some of the tokens.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul officially issued a two-year ban on proof-of-work cryptocurrency mining on November 22, making it the first state in the country to do so. The PoW mining ban prohibits new mining operations and also prevents existing companies from renewing their permits in the state.
However, a new PoW mining operation in the state is only permitted to operate if it is entirely powered by renewable energy.
Hochul added that it was an important step for New York as the state works to reduce its carbon footprint by cracking down on mines that use electricity from power plants that burn fossil fuels.
The news comes before New York introduced legislation to charge licensed crypto businesses that are operating in the state
