Here’s what’s in New York’s new bitcoin mining ban

Following an early morning vote in Albany on Friday, lawmakers in New York passed a bill to ban new bitcoin mining operations. The measure now heads to the desk of Governor Kathy Hochul, who could sign it into law or veto it.

If Hochul signs the bill, it would make New York the first state in the country to ban blockchain technology infrastructure, according to Perianne Boring, founder and president of the Chamber of Digital Commerce. Industry insiders also tell CNBC it could have a domino effect across the U.S., which is currently at the forefront of the global bitcoin mining industry, accounting for 38% of the world’s miners.

The New York bill, which previously passed the State Assembly in late April before heading to the State Senate, calls for a two-year moratorium on certain cryptocurrency mining operations which use proof-of-work authentication methods to validate blockchain transactions. Proof-of-work mining, which requires sophisticated gear and a whole lot of electricity, is used to create bitcoin. Ethereum is switching to a less energy-intensive process, but will still use this method for at least for another few months.

The push for an eleventh-hour vote came as leadership in the state capitol managed to flip some of the senators who were previously undecided.

Lawmakers backing the legislation say they are looking to curb the state’s carbon footprint by cracking down on mines that use electricity from power plants that burn fossil fuels. If it passes — for two years, unless a proof-of-work mining company uses 100% renewable energy, it would not be allowed to expand or renew permits, and new entrants would not be allowed to come online.

The net effect of this, according to Boring, would be to weaken New York’s economy by forcing businesses to take jobs elsewhere.

“This is a significant setback for the state and will stifle its future as a leader in technology and global financial services. More importantly, this decision will eliminate critical union jobs and further disenfranchise financial access to the many underbanked populations living in the Empire State,” Boring tells CNBC.

It is a sentiment echoed by Galaxy Digital’s Amando Fabiano, who says that “New York is setting a bad precedent that other states could follow.”

As for timing, the law would go into effect as soon as the governor signs off.

One section of the bill involves conducting a statewide study of the environmental impact of proof-of-work mining operations on New York’s ability to reach aggressive climate goals set under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which requires New York’s greenhouse gas emissions be cut by 85% by 2050.

Boring tells CNBC the recent swell of support in favor of this year’s proposed ban has a whole lot to do with this mandate to transition to sustainable energy.

“Proof-of-work mining has the potential to lead the global transition to more sustainable energy,” Boring told CNBC’s Crypto World,…