The United States Department of Justice (DoJ) has filed charges against two senior staff members of the Patterson Joint Unified School District, accusing them of operating a cryptocurrency mining operation within the premises of the district’s ten schools. 

美國司法部 (DoJ) 對帕特森聯合聯合學區的兩名高級工作人員提出指控，指控他們在該學區的 10 所學校內開展加密貨幣挖礦業務。

Jeffrey Menge, the assistant superintendent and chief business officer, and Eric Drabert, the IT director, allegedly utilized school resources and increased electricity costs to mine cryptocurrency and transferred the proceeds to their crypto wallets.

據稱，助理學監兼首席商務官杰弗裡·門格（Jeffrey Menge）和IT 總監埃里克·德拉伯特（Eric Drabert）利用學校資源和增加的電力成本來開採加密貨幣，並將收益轉移到他們的加密錢包。

Crypto mining operation unveiled

The DoJ alleges that Menge and Drabert purchased high-end graphics cards and employed them and other school district property and electricity to establish and maintain a cryptocurrency mining farm on school grounds. The specific number of schools involved in this operation has not been disclosed, though the district serves approximately 6,200 students across its ten schools.

加密貨幣挖礦業務揭曉 美國司法部聲稱，門格和德拉伯特購買了高端顯示卡，並利用它們以及其他學區的財產和電力在校園內建立和維護一個加密貨幣挖礦農場。儘管該學區的 10 所學校為約 6,200 名學生提供服務，但參與此行動的具體學校數量尚未披露。

The nature of the cryptocurrency mined in this operation remains undisclosed. However, some of the commonly mined cryptocurrencies include Bitcoin (BTC), Monero (XMR), Ravencoin (RVN), and Dogecoin (DOGE).

此次行動中開採的加密貨幣的性質仍未公開。然而，一些常見的加密貨幣包括比特幣 (BTC)、門羅幣 (XMR)、渡鴉幣 (RVN) 和狗狗幣 (DOGE)。

Cryptocurrency mining, particularly Bitcoin, is renowned for its significant energy consumption. According to recent data from CoinGecko, mining a single Bitcoin as a solo miner requires approximately 266,000 kilowatt-hours, equivalent to seven years of continuous electricity consumption at 143 kWh per month. The alleged crypto mining operation’s substantial electricity use has drawn attention and concern from authorities.

加密貨幣挖礦，尤其是比特幣，以其龐大的能源消耗而聞名。根據 CoinGecko 的最新數據，作為單獨礦工開採單個比特幣大約需要 266,000 千瓦時，相當於每月 143 千瓦時連續 7 年的用電量。所謂的加密貨幣挖礦作業的大量用電量引起了當局的關注和擔憂。

Embezzlement and fraud allegations

In addition to the crypto mining operation, the DoJ alleges that Menge embezzled between $1 million and $1.5 million. Drabert is accused of stealing between $250,000 and $300,000 during this scheme. These allegations compound the legal troubles facing the two senior staff members.

貪污和詐欺指控除了加密貨幣挖礦業務外，司法部還指控 Menge 貪污了 100 萬至 150 萬美元。德拉伯特被指控在該計劃中盜竊了 25 萬至 30 萬美元。這些指控加劇了兩名高級工作人員面臨的法律麻煩。

This case comes amidst a broader crackdown on cryptocurrency miners in the United States. On February 1, the United States Department of Energy (DOE) mandated that crypto miners report their energy consumption for six months. This initiative addresses concerns about the increasing energy consumption associated with the surge in Bitcoin prices, which has led to a proliferation of crypto mining activities.

此案發生之際，美國正對加密貨幣礦工進行更廣泛的打擊。 2 月 1 日，美國能源部 (DOE) 要求加密貨幣礦工報告六個月的能源消耗。這項措施解決了人們對比特幣價格飆升導致能源消耗增加的擔憂，比特幣價格飆升導致了加密貨幣挖礦活動的激增。

Furthermore, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) has announced plans to launch a survey to measure the electricity usage of local crypto-mining companies. This survey will require miners to provide detailed information about their energy consumption, marking a significant step toward monitoring and regulating energy-intensive crypto-mining operations.

此外，美國能源資訊管理局（EIA）宣布計劃進行調查，以衡量當地加密貨幣挖礦公司的用電量。這項調查將要求礦工提供有關其能源消耗的詳細信息，這標誌著朝著監控和監管能源密集型加密貨幣挖礦業務邁出了重要一步。

It’s not just the United States; regulators worldwide are ceasing their efforts to control excessive electricity consumption from cryptocurrency mining. This concern arises from the environmental impact and strain on energy resources associated with the cryptocurrency industry’s rapid growth.

不僅僅是美國；世界各地的監管機構正在停止努力控制加密貨幣挖礦的過度電力消耗。這種擔憂源於與加密貨幣產業快速成長相關的環境影響和能源壓力。