Matt Maddock, a congressman from Michigan, is mining Bitcoin from the floor of the U.S. State House, according to a post on the X Michigan Bitcoin Trade Council account, shared by Maddock himself.
The official uses a Bitaxe Gamma, a mini ASIC designed specifically for home mining. This mini miner offers a processing power (hashrate) of up to 1.2 terahashes per second (TH/s) while consuming just 18 watts, according to Solo Satoshi.
A US congressman is mining BTC from Congress. Source: X .
Although its design is aimed at solo miners and those who wish to participate in BTC mining with limited resources from home, given its small size, low noise level and heat emission (compared to industrial ASICs), the Bitaxe Gamme can be installed in unconventional environments such as a legislative building.
The official's installation of the mini ASIC could be interpreted as a symbolic endorsement of Bitcoin's decentralization in a context where Michigan is pushing cryptocurrency adoption and mining.
Matt Maddock was re-elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in 2024. Source: gophouse.org.
Michigan promotes Bitcoin mining
The initiative coincides with a package of laws in Michigan that encourages state investment in cryptocurrencies and the use of mining infrastructure. For example, HB4512, part of that package, focuses on creating a program that would allow private companies to use abandoned oil or gas wells for bitcoin mining.
In return, the companies are responsible for sealing the wells and remediating the land after operations are completed. The goal is to reuse the residual energy from these sites to fuel mining activities, promoting environmental restoration without relying solely on public resources.
Initiative HB4513, meanwhile, proposes amending Michigan's 1967 Income Tax Act, allowing taxpayers enrolled in the bitcoin mining program under HB4512 to deduct any profits they earn from their adjusted gross income.
That deduction covers both individuals and corporations, as long as the mining is carried out in abandoned mines, and its implementation depends on the prior approval of HB4512. However, these proposals are at an early stage of the legislative process.
