Tennessee county passes another ban on crypto operations

The Hawkins County Commissioners in Tennessee passed their second ban related to digital assets, following a similar one in 2025.

On Monday, the commission voted unanimously 12-0 to ban the establishment, construction, installation, expansion and operation of crypto mining facilities and data centers in unincorporated areas of the county. The government body had already banned similar activities in September 2025 as part of an effort to block the ExoticRidge mining company from establishing operations in the county, and passed a resolution in January affirming its authority to do so.

ExoticRidge and Tennessee county officials proposed a settlement in January over the crypto company’s operations, allowing it to construct and run its facility with noise restrictions. The proposed terms would restrict the company from operating at more than 80 A-weighted decibels (dBA) at the property line “for more than 30 minutes during any four-hour period.”

The county-level ban was the latest measure by Tennessee officials against crypto companies operating in the US state. On July 1, the use and installation of cryptocurrency ATMs and kiosks became illegal under a Tennessee law signed in April. The restriction came in response to incidents of residents, particularly senior citizens, using the machines to send funds to scammers.