The Texas Blockchain Council and Riot Platforms, a Bitcoin mining enterprise, scored a legal victory when a US District Judge ruled in their favor in a lawsuit against several US energy agencies. The litigation arose from the agencies’ attempt to collect operational data from cryptocurrency miners, which the plaintiffs contested as overreaching.
Legal Win for Crypto Mining Advocates
The court acknowledged the plaintiffs’ concerns by granting a temporary restraining order, ceasing any further data requisition by the Energy Information Administration. The ruling pivoted on the potential irreversible damage to the plaintiffs, including the costs and risks associated with compliance, the threat of legal repercussion for non-compliance, and the exposure of sensitive information.
The plaintiffs contended with the EIA’s underestimation of the survey’s completion time, asserting that the actual compliance effort far exceeded the forecasted 30 minutes, taking more than 40 hours instead. This discrepancy highlighted the plaintiffs’ argument against the survey’s imposition.
Judgment Casts Doubt on Agency’s Authority
In its assessment, the court found that the Texas Blockchain Council and Riot Platforms not only faced immediate harm but also possessed a strong likelihood of prevailing in the lawsuit. The court criticized the EIA for inappropriately leveraging an emergency provision to justify its survey, a tactic the court found to be without merit.
The court’s Temporary Restraining Order is set to last four weeks, expiring before March 25, offering a hiatus for the plaintiffs from the demands of the survey and preserving the status quo amid legal proceedings.