Key Takeaways
- Norway mandates data center registration, increasing government oversight.
- New legislation poses challenges for Bitcoin mining due to environmental concerns.
- Bitcoin halving event to further pressure miners.
Norway has introduced legislation requiring data centers to register with the government.
This move includes the disclosure of ownership and the services provided, marking Norway as the first European nation to establish such a regulatory framework.
Increased scrutiny on Bitcoin mining
Terje Aasland, Norway’s Minister of Energy, expressed the legislation’s aim to provide better oversight and potentially reject operations deemed undesirable.
This framework puts additional pressure on Bitcoin miners, especially with the impending halving event that will slash block rewards.
Government’s stance on Bitcoin mining
Despite the high energy consumption of Bitcoin mining operations, particularly in Northern Norway, the government discourages such activities.
Aasland highlighted the preference for data centers serving societal benefits, such as storage servers, over those contributing to significant greenhouse emissions.
