It’s novel, it’s trendy and it’s a great way to become fabulously wealthy — or lose everything you have — but the nuisances associated with the production of cryptocurrency are prompting local governments to regulate them before it’s too late. 

Macon County is the latest in Western North Carolina to address the rise in cryptocurrency and its disruptive mining practices with a change to its high-impact ordinance.

The relatively recent rise of cryptocurrency, its associated strain on utility infrastructure and its potential to disrupt the peace and quiet of rural communities have all caused quite a ruckus in the Western North Carolina mountains. Elected officials in Haywood County are now looking for ways to prevent similar problems before they begin.