David Edwards
In reaction to U.S. President Donald Trump’s renewed tariff measures, the top three Chinese producers of Bitcoin mining hardware—Bitmain, Canaan, and MicroBT—are relocating their operations to the United States, changing the global crypto mining scene and raising concerns about Chinese technology infrastructure on American soil.
Plans to build facilities in the United States are being expedited by these companies, which together manufacture more than 90% of the Bitcoin mining rigs used worldwide. Trump’s aggressive trade policies and his 2024 campaign promise to “produce all Bitcoin in the USA” are the reasons behind the strategic change. The action also fits with his administration’s stance on cryptocurrency, which has become more important as geopolitical tensions rise.
Gains in U.S. Production The momentum
The biggest company in the industry, Bitmain, started manufacturing mining equipment in the United States in December, not long after Trump was re-elected. In order to protect itself from growing geopolitical tension, the corporation presented the action as a “strategic initiative.”
In a similar vein, Canaan started producing prototypes in the United States following the implementation of the “Liberation Day levies” on April 2. In order to reduce tariff concerns, Canaan is looking into full-scale manufacturing facilities, according to Leo Wang, a senior executive. The third-largest manufacturer of mining rigs, MicroBT, stated that it is “actively implementing a localization strategy in the U.S.” in order to improve regional resilience and prevent tariff risk.
“The U.S.-China trade war is triggering structural, not superficial, changes in Bitcoin’s supply chains,” said Guang Yang, Chief Technology Officer at Conflux Network, indicating deeper structural changes. This is a purposeful shift toward politically acceptable hardware supplies for American companies that goes beyond tariffs.
Strategic tensions and security concerns
Relocating to the United States may help Chinese companies escape tariffs, but it also causes fresh worries among American authorities, especially in relation to grid-connected energy use and chip manufacture. National security ramifications were raised by Sanjay Gupta, Chief Strategy Officer at Auradine, a U.S. Bitcoin mining company supported by MARA Holdings: “More than 90% of mining gear still comes from China, yet over 30% of worldwide Bitcoin mining takes place in North America. There is serious vulnerability because of this imbalance.
As a “critical risk,” Gupta cited the existence of “hundreds of thousands” of Chinese mining rigs connected to the American electrical grid.
In an effort to increase domestic competitiveness and lessen American reliance on foreign crypto infrastructure, Auradine is aggressively advocating for limits on the importation of Chinese gear.
Trade Agreement Doesn’t Reduce Pressure on the Crypto Sector
The prognosis for Chinese cryptocurrency manufacturing is still bleak due to Trump-era tariffs, even with the latest U.S.-China trade agreement. According to industry observers, these moves could permanently move the production of Bitcoin hardware to North America, bringing in a new era of supply chains that are regionalized and influenced by politics.
There will likely be significant ramifications for global cryptocurrency markets, hardware supply dynamics, and cybersecurity as Trump works to establish the US as a center for Bitcoin production.
