US detaining Bitcoin mining equipment at border: report

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As an analyst with over two decades of experience in tech and geopolitics, I find myself deeply intrigued by this ongoing saga between U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Bitmain’s Antminer ASIC miners. The uncertainty surrounding the reason for these detentions and the potential impact on U.S.-based Bitcoin mining companies is a fascinating puzzle that I can’t help but want to unravel.

Across various U.S. ports, Bitmain’s Antminer ASIC miners have been held by U.S. Customs and Border Protection for up to two months following a request from the Federal Communications Commission.

As a crypto investor, I’ve been left in the lurch by the recent delays that have hit seven U.S.-based Bitcoin mining companies, as reported by Blockspace. These delays have halted the operation of my S21 and T21 series miners, leaving me without answers or clear solutions thus far.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has remained silent about the cause of these detentions and hasn’t given an estimated time for resolution. Certain businesses have stated that they are being charged over $200,000 in daily holding fees.

It seems the seizures don’t seem aimed at other ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit) manufacturers, for instance, MicroBT or Canaan. Instead, they appear to be primarily focused at West Coast ports, such as San Francisco.

Border delay speculation

Rumors within the industry point towards potential delays possibly being linked to an examination of semiconductors provided by Xiamen Sophgo, a Chinese chip manufacturer currently under investigation for alleged breaches of U.S. sanctions, as suggested by Blockspace.

It appears that Sophgo’s chips, specifically the CV1835 model, are said to be integrated into specific Antminer models, namely the S19 and T21 series. This connection has sparked curiosity as Sophgo’s CEO, Micree Zhan, is also one of the co-founders of Bitmain, leading to speculation about possible ties between these companies and ongoing investigations.

As an analyst, I found myself delving into an investigation initiated by the Department of Commerce, focusing on the tech giant Sophgo. The catalyst for this probe was the discovery of a chip connected to their company within a Huawei device. It’s important to note that Huawei has been under U.S. sanctions since 2019, due to ongoing national security concerns.

Although there’s no definitive connection established between the sanctions and the seized Antminer shipments, some reports suggest that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) could be checking incoming goods for prohibited parts.

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2024-11-25 22:36