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posted by
janrinok
on Thursday September 22 2016, @10:42PM
from the we'll-get-you-for-something dept.
from the we'll-get-you-for-something dept.
At phys.org:
Prosecutors in the Netherlands are seeking prison sentences for two brothers who they say used stolen electricity to power computers they used to mine bitcoins worth an estimated 200,000 euros ($223,500).
Prosecutors said in a statement Wednesday that powerful computers used to "mine" the electronic currency were found in a building in the port city of Rotterdam that belonged to one of the brothers and also was used as a cannabis nursery.
Equipment in the nursery and the computers were running on illegally tapped electricity when they were discovered in 2014.
Also at AP.org.
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Dutch Brothers in Court for Bitcoin Mining With Stolen Power
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You are a fluke of the universe; you have no right to be here.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by MostCynical on Thursday September 22 2016, @11:16PM
Clever enough to build mining-level computer, configure and successfully mine bitcoins.
Not clever enough to realise most cannabis hydroponic growers have been caught owning to excess electricity consumption.
Add mining power consumption to the growing.
Stealing the power is the bit that makes the least sense. Why not add some signs "J Bloggs industrial sewing and weaving". Record some large sewing or weaving machines, play from speakers on top floor. Then *pay* for the electricity.
Otherwise, just sit, mine, watch buds, and wait for bust.
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 4, Informative) by JNCF on Friday September 23 2016, @12:24AM
Stealing the power is the bit that makes the least sense. Why not add some signs "J Bloggs industrial sewing and weaving". Record some large sewing or weaving machines, play from speakers on top floor. Then *pay* for the electricity.
Electricity is going to be your biggest ongoing cost in running a mining operation. The reason it doesn't make sense to keep running old hardware which will sometimes happen to hash a block is because the power costs more than you get back in bitcoins. You have to use efficient hardware if you're paying for the power. If you're stealing the power, you can inefficiently waste somebody elses electircity and pocket the bitcoins for yourself. It's the same reason that people mine using botnets of shitty personal computers, but nobody recommends mining with your own shitty personal computer.
(Score: 2) by JNCF on Friday September 23 2016, @12:44AM
Electricity is going to be your biggest ongoing cost in running a mining operation.
I guess I should say "aside from buying new hardware," but the Dutch Bros. don't have to worry about that since they get such cheap electricity!
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Whoever on Friday September 23 2016, @02:00AM
This was in the Netherlands. Perhaps they were hoping that the authorities would assume they were only growing weed and leave them alone?