GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) -Should the city of Greenville allow cryptocurrency mining?

It’s been a recurring topic of discussion for the city council and continued to be so Monday night.

“I think you’ve got to understand the purpose of it and make sure that if you’re going to make modifications to it, that it’s done correctly and not make it worse than it really was,” said PJ Connelly, Greenville Mayor.

Councilwoman Marion Blackburn has been at the forefront, pushing against the ordinance that would allow crypto companies to operate within Greenville.

Some residents agree with Blackburn’s opposition and believe the ordinance will be harmful down the line.

“We can do things in a better way,” said Dr. Yoshi Newman, Greenville resident. “Long term I think it’s irresponsible and indefensible. We can’t keep doing things the way we have.”

After a lengthy discussion, the council unanimously agreed on a motion to have city staff conduct a report that will be brought back to them with a text amendment to consider amending the ordinance.

Connelly says it’s vital for the council to keep the people in mind during the decision process.

“It’s very important that the city council thinks about the ordinance and makes an effort to come up with a solution that’s good for the community as a whole,” Connelly said.

The discussion about cryptocurrency mining began in 2022, when a company called Compute North expressed a desire to set up modular data processing in Pitt County but failed, which led to the city coming up with the current ordinance.

Blackburn says there’s currently no crypto companies seeking business in Greenville, which is why she believes now is the best time to discuss the future of the ordinance.

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