Cryptocurrency mining noise: The cost of progress?

Love it or loathe it, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are here to stay. Yet do you know how crypto is "manufactured"? It turns out to be a very noisy operation! Hundreds, if not thousands of powerful computer servers and processors are needed to solve the vexing Bitcoin mining algorithms. And those computers generate heat, a lot of heat (!), that must be cooled and ventilated, thus creating noise. This paper will describe the noise assessment and control efforts performed on a major Bitcoin mining operation in Tennessee. Megawatts of power are needed to support the operations, and the ventilation noise was causing significant community complaints that threatened to shut down the mining operation. Fortunately, application of some traditional and custom-made noise mitigation measures solved the noise problem and allowed the mining operation to proceed around the clock. At the time of writing this abstract, 1 Bitcoin = $46,500.