America Wants Its Hash Rate Back: Senators Unveil 'Mined in America Act' to Ditch Chinese ASICs

Republican Senators Cynthia Lummis and Bill Cassidy have dropped the Mined in America Act—a bill so patriotic it probably runs on coal and apple pie. The legislation aims to bring Bitcoin mining back to U.S. soil and keep it there, presumably with a bald eagle perched on every rig.

The legislation, introduced Monday, has three main goals that would make any degen nod in approval: create a voluntary "Mined in America" certification program for mining facilities (think USDA organic stickers but for ASICs), phase out hardware from foreign adversaries, and codify President Trump's executive order establishing a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve within the Treasury. It's essentially a wishlist for American mining maximalists.

Here's where things get spicy. While the U.S. controls roughly 38% of the global Bitcoin hash rate—impressive, right?—about 97% of the hardware powering those rigs comes from China. That's like owning a Lambo but the engine is made by your landlord. Dennis Porter, CEO of the Satoshi Action Fund backing the bill, called this arrangement a national security liability, which is a fancy way of saying "we're mining on Chinese silicon and hoping for the best."

Under the plan, certified mining operations would integrate into existing federal energy and rural development programs rather than creating new spending. The bill also directs NIST and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership to help U.S. manufacturers build energy-efficient mining equipment on domestic soil. Basically, they're asking the government to play tech incubator without actually spending more money—a classic Washington magic trick.

Lummis didn't hold back: "President Trump pledged to make the United States the digital asset capital of the world, and we're not backing down." That's the kind of energy you'd expect from someone introducing legislation with "America" in the title twice.

The bill faces a clock. Democrats could take control of Congress after midterms, and Senator Elizabeth Warren is already probing the Commerce Department about Bitmain's potential to spy through mining machines. Nothing says "fun regulatory environment" like Warren sniffing around your ASICs.

If passed, it would formalize the SBR into law and mark a significant shift in how the U.S. handles both Bitcoin mining security and its broader digital asset strategy. In short: American hash rate or bust.