Mining for Power

Connections Between the Bitcoin Industry, Far-Right Advocates, Corporate Interest Groups, and Climate Deniers
December 11, 2023
Major American bankCitigroup Inc.Wall Street investment banking, securities and investment management firmGoldman SachsLarge San Francisco-based bank holding companyWells FargoMultinational power companyAES CorporationAmerican electric and natural gas utilityCenterPoint EnergyLargest distributor of natural gas in the U.S.Atmos EnergyUS Senator from Oklahoma (1994-present); former US Representative (1987-1995)Jim InhofeUS Representative from MontanaDenny RehbergFormer US Senator and Representative from MaineOlympia SnoweDemocratic US Senator and Former Representative from OregonRon WydenUS Senator from MontanaConrad Burns45th President of the United StatesDonald TrumpExecutive Vice President of Government Relations at Blockchain AssociationDave GrimaldiSecond-largest private company in the US, involved in manufacturing, trading and investmentsKoch Industries,Inc.Former US Representative from New Jersey (2009-2019)Leonard LanceFormer US Representative from Texas (2009-2021)Pete OlsonConservative think tankHeritageFoundationFormer Governor of ArkansasMike HuckabeeFormer Governor of Texas; former Trump Energy SecretaryRick PerryUS free market think tankAtlas Network501(c)4 focused on cutting spending, privatizing social security, and deregulation.Club for GrowthConservative education and organizing non-profit FreedomWorksOil and natural gas industry associationAmerican PetroleumInstituteAn organization of conservatives and libertarians seeking reform of the current American legal system in accordance with a textualist or originalist interpretation of the U.S. Constitution. Federalist SocietyNon-profit research and education organization, climate change denial front groupHeartlandInstituteAssociation of U.S. investor-owned electric companies; fights state-level rooftop solar incentives Edison ElectricInstituteFounded in 2008, think tank advocating market-based policy solutions at the state and local level. Pelican Institutefor Public PolicyRight-wing think tank networkState PolicyNetworkConservative Policy think tank, publishes "Veritas"Texas PublicPolicy FoundationOrganization designed to link state legislators with corporations and create templates for state legislationAmericanLegislativeExchange CouncilTrump's former EPA Administrator | Former Attorney General of OklahomaScott Pruitt501(c)(3) affiliate of the American Action NetworkAmerican ActionForumPrivately owned investment managerFidelity Former Acting White House Chief of Staff, Director of Office of Management and Budget. former US Representative from South Carolina.Mick MulvaneyFormer FCC commissionerMignon ClyburnCyrus Fogg Brackett Professor of Physics, Princeton University; Former Director of Research, United States Department of Energy; Trustee, MITRE Corporation; Chairman, The Marshall InstituteWilliam HapperUS Representative from WyomingCynthia LummisUS Representative from OhioJim RenacciMissouri investor & philanthropistRex SinquefieldRepublican U.S. Senator from TexasTed CruzUS Representative from MontanaSteven DainesOil and gas industry trade associationTexas Oil and GasAssociationTexas oil & gas regulatory bodyRailroadCommission ofTexasGovernor of TexasGreg AbbottFormer Government Staffer in the Trump Administration, Lobbyist, and Counsel to American Petroleum InstituteSurya GunasekaraDavid and Charles Koch political advocacy groupAmericans forProsperityUS Representative from Minnesota (2015-present)Tom EmmerPAC funded primarily by Rex Sinquefield supporting conservative politiciansGrow Missouri PACConservative Robert Mercer's private grant-making foundationMercer FamilyFoundationKoch network consulting companyAegis StrategicClimate disinformation non-profitCO2 CoalitionConservative activist and commentatorAvik RoyConservative organization focused on energy, environmental and security issuesCitizens for ResponsibleEnergy SolutionsFormer Chairman, US Commodity Futures Trading CommissionChristopherGiancarloRepublican state representative in MontanaDaniel ZolnikovCo-founder of BloqMatthew RoszakUS Representative from Ohio (June 2016-present)Warren DavidsonUS Representative from Florida (2017-present)Matt GaetzBlockchain and cryptocurrency technology companyBloqIKRC 501(c)(3) promoting deregulation of American politics and more money in politicsInstitute for FreeSpeechCryptocurrency exchange CoinbaseCryptocurrency trade association based in Washington, DCBlockchainAssociation Parent company of Genesis, one of the largest cryptocurrency brokerages for institutional investorsDigital CurrencyGroupCo-founder of Satoshi Action Fund, former Trump EPA chief of staffMandy GunasekaraMember, Arizona House of Representatives; owns Rally Forge, a Queen Creek Arizona political advertising company Jake HoffmanGrayscale Investments LLC. is a digital currency investing services company.GrayscaleInvestmentsrightwing groupNew CivilLiberties AllianceUS Representative from North CarolinaTed BuddHouse of Representatives far right Republican/libertarian caucusFreedom CaucusTech firm, one of the largest corporate holders of BitcoinMicroStrategyCEO, MicroStrategyMichael SaylorCryptocurrency mining corporationUS Bitcoin CorpPublicly-traded Bitcoin mining companies in the USCore ScientificTexas House Speaker (R)Dade PhelanPresident/CEO of Frontier InstituteKendall CottonLibertarian policy institute in MTFrontier InstituteBlockchain & Digital Asset Trade AssociationChamber of DigitalCommerceBitcoin mining company operating in central TexasRiot PlatformsGlobal Bitcoin mining companyMarathon DigitalPAC organized by the Chamber of Digital Commerce Chamber ofDigital CommercePACFormer Chairman, US Commodity Futures Trading CommissionJames NewsomeLobbyiost and former Republican state senatorScott BoulangerProfessional member association for promoting energy policies that support the cryptocurrency industryDigital EnergyCouncilFounder and President of Digital Energy CouncilThomas MapesChief of Staff at Blockchain AssociationAllie NelsonUS Congressman from South Carolina, 6th DistrictJim ClyburnCollection of companies committed to the Bitcoin networkBitcoin MiningCouncilCEO and Co-founder of Satoshi Action FundDennis PorterPolicy Director of Satoshi Action FundEric PetersonPro-fossil fuel energy group created by Texas Public Policy FoundationLife: PoweredBitcoin advocacy and trade organizationSatoshi ActionFundPAC organized by the Blockchain AssociationBlockchainAssociation PACDeputy Attorney General for Cybersecurity, Technology, and Digital AssetsRichard JacksonUS Congressman for Texas, 17th DistrictPete SessionsOklahoma State SenatorNathan DahmTexas-based lobbyistTravis McCormickDirector of Government Relations at Blockchain AssociationRon HammondMember, Satoshi Action Education Board of DirectorsJustin BallardTexas State Representative, District 8Cody HarrisTexas-based government lobby companyCrestlineSolutionsUS agency for commodity futures tradingUnited States CommodityFutures TradingCommissionPAC organized by Aegis StrategicAegis PACMissouri State RepresentativePhilChristofanelliMissouri-based business and Republican mega-donorDavid HumphreysArkansas State Senator, 32nd DistrictJoshua BryantArkansas State Representative, 29th DistrictRick McClureConservative-backed PAC based in ArkansasArkansasConservativeLegislative PACCEO Blockchain AssociationKristin SmithMississippi State Representative, District 4Jody SteversonMississippi-based electric utility companyMississippi PowerCoManaging Partner and Lobbyist at Imperium StrategiesDaniel HarrisonNew Hampshire State RepresentativeKeith AmmonLibertarian advocacy groupNew HampshireLiberty AllianceFounder/CEO of Chamber of Digital CommercePerianne BoringPublicly-traded Bitcoin mining companyBitdeerAssociation promoting blockchain technology and Bitcoin mining policy interests in TexasTexas BlockchainCouncilTexas-based Bitcoin research and education non-profitTexas BitcoinFoundationBoard Member and President of TX Blockchain CouncilLee BratcherCEO of Crestline Solutions and LobbyistReed ClayCo-founder, Texas Blockchain CouncilNatalie SmolenskiConservative economic think-tankFoundation for Researchon Equal OpportunityCryptocurrency trading, lending, and custody platformGenesisNews organization focused on digital currencies, including Bitcoin and associated technologiesCoinDeskBitcoin industrygroup and staffConservative andcorporate advocacy groupFor-profit companyPAC andmega-donorsPoliticianLobbyistTexas Representative, District 32Todd HunterTX BitcoinMississippi State Senator, District 20Josh HarkinsDirector of Energy Policy, Chamber of Digital Commerce and Digital Power NetworkEwelina CzaplaCOO of Chamber of Digital CommerceAlex ChizhikSenior Policy AssociateTaylor BarrChief Policy Officer Chamber of Digital CommerceCody CarboneCoalition advocating for digital currency mining and energy use policyDigital PowerNetworkHead of Public Policy, Riot PlatformsBrian MorgensternConservative non-profit and research instituteAmerica FirstPolicy InstitutePAC orgnized by the Texas Blockchain CouncilTexas BlockchainCommitteeTexas State Senator, District 12Tan ParkerAdvisory Board Member of TX Blockchain Council and TX State Director at Americans for ProsperityGenevieve CollinsFormer Oklahoma State SenatorJohn MichaelMontgomeryOklahoma State Representative, 39th DistrictRyan MartinezMississippi State Representative, District 11Lataisha JacksonVirginia State Senator, District 37Saddam Azlan SalimGovernmentagencies andstaffersTyler LindholmDerek KhannaBit DigitalCleanSparkArgoBitfarmsTerawulfCipher MiningHiveHut8GalaxyBitcoin miningcompanyArizona FreedomCaucus
 

Power and Influence in the Bitcoin Landscape

A complex web of alliances connects the Bitcoin industry groups directly and indirectly to conservative groups that have a record of spreading climate misinformation, supporting the fossil fuel industry, and promoting dangerous environmental policies. Additional stakeholders, like politicians, government staffers, and corporations, contribute to the comprehensive network and strengthen these relationships. See the legend for sector of entities on the right side of this map.