A cryptocurrency facility proposed by Miningsky Technology Ltd. would be located at the former site of Houston Forest Products on Morice River Road. (Submitted image)

A cryptocurrency facility proposed by Miningsky Technology Ltd. would be located at the former site of Houston Forest Products on Morice River Road. (Submitted image)

Houston’s Pleasant Valley Plaza to host information session about bitcoin

Locals will have a chance to ask questions about the proposed farm

  • Jul. 19, 2018 12:00 a.m.

Local residents will soon have a chance to learn more about cryptocurrency and ask questions about the proposed bitcoin farm in Houston.

The Pleasant Valley Plaza will be playing the documentary ‘Banking on bitcoin’ on a date soon to be announced.

According to Pleasant Valley Plaza’s general manager Rebecca Tait, the public will have a chance to ask questions about cryptocurrency and the proposed farm in Houston to a representative from Miningsky Technology Ltd. after the movie.

The blockchain infrastructure company is interested in setting up a bitcoin farm – which would generate cryptocurrency using shipping containers filled with computers – at the former site of Houston Forest Products.

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Miningsky applied for the permit in late March to locate as many as 10 shipping containers to the site. According to a land use application obtained by Houston Today, the company considers shipping containers a good alternative to ordinary buildings.

“It is quicker to use sea cans [containers], rather than to build buildings,” the document states. “We would like to increase our sea can amount from two to 10 within six months.”

Last May Houston council issued a development variance permit to allow the company to use up to 10 shipping containers.

According to Miningsky, employees would be present to monitor and maintain operation of the Houston facility; however, it’s still unclear how many jobs will be created.

“I think that it is unfair to promise numerous jobs until we are further along; we are still very much in the planning stage at this point,” said Scott Young, managing director of Green Valley Mine Incorporated – a company that has recently announced a share exchange agreement involving Miningsky – last May.

“We have hired some local labour, only on a needs basis so far,” he continued. “I don’t know how many [jobs will be created] in the future… it depends on our client base.”

Young added he believes bitcoin is the future of world currency.

Cryptocurrency — digital money that can be exchanged for goods and services online or for hard cash, but isn’t linked to any physical resource or central authority — has risen dramatically in popularity over the past few years.

Bitcoin — the most well-known form of cryptocurrency — was created in 2009 and currently trades at approximately US$6700 per unit, down from a peak of more than US$20,000 in December 2017.

The Pleasant Valley Plaza event starts at 7 p.m., and cost to attend is $5.

– With files from David Gordon Koch

Houston Today