Arkansas County Settles Lawsuit with Crypto Mine, Agrees to $90K Payout

In the recent lawsuit between Jones Digital, LLC and Arkansas County, a settlement was reached allowing the cryptocurrency mine in DeWitt to resume operations. The county has agreed to pay Jones Digital $90,000 as part of the consent decree, which also prohibits the county from enacting any discriminatory rules or industry-specific tax regulations against the mines, according to Ualrpublicradio.

The dispute began when local residents complained about the noise from the mine, which they claimed was excessively loud and had unclear ties to foreign governments. This led to the Arkansas County Quorum Court attempting to pass an ordinance limiting noise levels, which Jones Digital subsequently challenged in court.

Additionally, another mine in the Bono neighborhood near Greenbrier is facing a lawsuit from local residents for similar noise complaints. This lawsuit is still ongoing, and the mine’s owners are represented by the same law firm, Wright Lindsey Jennings.

These legal battles occur against a backdrop of new state laws signed by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, which give counties more control over cryptocurrency mining regulations. This legislative change was a response to a 2023 law that prevented local governments from imposing restrictions on cryptocurrency mining operations.