Deadly US Winter Storm Disrupts Foundry USA and Other Mining Pools

The winter storm sweeping across much of the United States has forced adjustments in energy consumption by Bitcoin mining operators, with Foundry USA—home to the largest Bitcoin mining pool by hash power—scaling back its output by roughly 60% since Friday. The curtailment translates to a loss of about 200 exahashes per second (EH/s) of hashing power, according to TheMinerMag, and has pushed the pool’s current total to around 198 EH/s, a level that accounts for about 23% of the world’s mining capacity. The slowdown in production has coincided with longer than typical block intervals, as operators throttle activity to ease stress on electrical grids during a period of extreme weather. The episode highlights how crypto miners can function as a flexible demand side resource, potentially stabilizing grids when energy systems are stretched.

Foundry USA’s reduced output mirrors a broader pattern observed among U.S. miners amid Winter Storm Fern, which has forced a number of facilities to adjust energy usage to minimize strain on power networks. The curtailment has been reported beyond Foundry, with Luxor and other mining operators cited by TheMinerMag as implementing similar load reductions in response to stressed energy infrastructure. The weather event, which has swept across the Southeast, Northeast, and parts of the Midwest, has placed the electricity grid under heightened pressure, prompting utilities and grid operators to seek controllable load that can be brought online or taken offline in response to demand swings. The storm’s reach and the grid challenges it presents have drawn attention to the role of mining as a non-traditional load that can be managed to balance supply, especially during peak demand periods.

The dynamic at play underscores a paradox at the heart of crypto mining: while the industry is often criticized for its energy use, miners can also serve as a grid resource by adjusting electricity demand in response to grid conditions. When demand is low, miners can ramp up operations to consume electricity that would otherwise be idle; during peak demand, they can reduce or temporarily suspend activity to free up capacity for consumers. This elasticity can help prevent grid instability and reduce the risk of equipment damage from overloading infrastructure. As The Weather Channel notes, storms like Fern bring a mix of snow, ice, and freezing rain across large swaths of the country, amplifying the need for prudent energy management by industrial users, including mining operators.

The storm’s effects extend beyond energy consumption. The current weather pattern has contributed to a fragile operating environment for miners, with temporary slowdowns in hash rates and potential implications for the pace of the Bitcoin network’s block production. While hash power remains substantial on a global basis, the United States—once a major node in the mining landscape—faces ongoing adjustments as facilities respond to local conditions, including power outages and grid constraints. The Weather Channel’s radar and forecast data have documented Fern’s trajectory and the regions most affected, offering context for operators planning energy use in the near term. The broader implication is that weather-driven curtailment could influence near-term network dynamics, even as the longer-term trajectory of hash rate remains tied to market conditions, energy prices, and regulatory developments.

Figure: The Weather Channel’s radar and forecast imagery illustrate Fern’s reach and the regions most affected by the storm, providing a visual context for the energy-management decisions being made by mining operators. The storm’s footprint is expected to extend across a broad geographic area, with power disruptions affecting more than a million residents in some scenarios, according to live weather updates.

Bitcoin network health remains anchored in the fundamental economics of mining and energy availability, with public data showing how hashing power is distributed across pools and geographies. The ongoing discussions around energy consumption, grid reliability, and the capacity of industrial actors to modulate demand have become a central part of conversations about how crypto infrastructure interacts with traditional energy systems. The current weather event, while momentary in its impact on any single operator, is a practical demonstration of how miners can contribute to grid stability under duress, even as the industry faces scrutiny about energy use and sustainability in a broader sense.

What follows is a closer look at the current situation, the data behind the reported curtailments, and the implications for miners, the Bitcoin network, and energy grids.

What to watch next

– Recovery trajectory for Foundry USA’s hash power: Monitor whether the 60% decline is sustained or whether output rebounds as grid conditions normalize and facilities resume normal operations.
– Broader miner response: Track whether other U.S. pools and individual facilities remain in curtailment mode in the near term or begin incremental normalization as Fern weakens.
– Grid and policy developments: Observe any new utility or regulatory actions addressing industrial loads during extreme weather events and how such policies may affect mining operations.
– Network-level indicators: Watch for changes in block production timing and difficulty adjustments as hash power shifts occur across major pools.
– Public disclosures from pool operators: Look for official statements from Foundry USA and peers that detail the rationale for curtailment, the expected duration, and any contingency plans.

Sources & verification

– Hashrate Index pool data showing Foundry USA’s share of the global mining hashrate (about 198 EH/s, ~23% of the total).
– The MinerMag reporting on a roughly 200 EH/s decline in Foundry USA’s hashrate and the resulting ~12-minute block production period.
– The Weather Channel radar and forecast data documenting Winter Storm Fern’s reach and projected impacts on energy grids.
– Cointelegraph explainer material on Bitcoin hashrate and mining operations for context on how hashing power expresses itself across networks.

Rewritten article body: Winter storm Fern tests Bitcoin miners’ resilience and grid balancing

Winter storm Fern tests Bitcoin miners’ resilience and grid balancing

Bitcoin mining operations have once again demonstrated how energy-intensive activities can adapt when the power grid faces systemic stress. Foundry USA, which operates the world’s largest Bitcoin mining pool by hashrate, reported a dramatic pullback in its output as Fern, a severe winter storm, rolls across large portions of the United States. The company’s hashrate has declined by roughly 60% since Friday, amounting to about 200 EH/s of capacity removed from the network in a matter of days. Current estimates place Foundry USA at around 198 EH/s, a figure that still represents a substantial slice of global mining capacity—roughly a fifth of the total, according to Hashrate Index. The immediate effect on on-chain activity has included a lengthening of block times, with estimates indicating an average interval near 12 minutes as miners curtailed operations to reduce stress on the electrical grid.

The proportion of hashing power controlled by Foundry USA—nearly a quarter of the entire mining ecosystem—has made the shutdown particularly noticeable. While the precise daily fluctuations are driven by weather conditions and regional energy policies, the broader trend underscores the role of miners as a dynamic, controllable load resource. This concept, discussed by industry observers and researchers in recent years, positions mining operations as potential partners in grid management rather than as passive consumers of electricity. When demand surges or grid infrastructure is strained, miners can temporarily shut down or scale back their machines, freeing up capacity for households and essential services. Conversely, during periods of lower demand, they can optimize throughput to maximize efficiency and profitability.

The weather-driven curtailment comes amid a broader discussion about energy usage in crypto mining. Operators learned early in the season that grid operators and utilities value flexible demand that can be turned on or off in response to supply conditions. In recent days, reports from The MinerMag have highlighted how other U.S. pools, including Luxor, have also reduced activity in response to Fern. The storm’s impact is not confined to a single facility or pool; rather, it reflects a systemic challenge—how to balance the dual imperatives of maintaining secure, profitable mining operations and supporting energy infrastructure during extreme weather events.

For miners, the ability to modulate energy consumption is a form of risk management. Low demand periods can be used to bring machines online in a controlled manner, while peak demand triggers rapid deenergization to alleviate grid stress. This flexibility can be crucial when grids experience weather-related outages or equipment stress, which in turn reduces the risk of cascading failures in the power system. The Weather Channel’s live radar and forecast coverage of Fern show the storm’s expansive footprint, including intermittent ice and snowfall that complicate both residential power reliability and the operation of large industrial facilities. The well-being of the grid, in this sense, intersects with the economics of mining—an industry that has grown more integrated with regional energy markets as operators seek reliable, cost-effective power sources.

Beyond the immediate weather-driven dynamics, the episode highlights a longer-standing question about how Bitcoin’s network health and security respond to fluctuations in hashrate. The network’s hash rate captures the total computational power devoted to securing the proof-of-work protocol, and shifts in this metric can influence the time required to produce blocks, as well as the difficulty adjustment that follows. The balance between security and energy efficiency remains a central theme for an industry that continues to expand in spite of, and in some cases because of, its energy considerations. The current weather event provides a tangible case study of how major mining centers navigate energy constraints, and it raises questions about how future weather patterns and grid policies could shape mining operational decisions.

In response to Fern, Foundry USA and other pools have demonstrated a willingness to adapt quickly to environmental pressures. The rapid curtailment underscores the capacity of mining operators to act as flexible energy users, a characteristic that could become increasingly valuable as grids around the world confront more frequent extreme weather events. While the long-term implications for the Bitcoin network depend on a range of factors—including macroeconomic conditions, energy prices, and regulatory developments—the immediate takeaway is that mining operations can still function as a stabilizing load under stress while remaining resilient against sudden operational disruptions. As the storm passes and temperatures rebound, the industry will likely reassess its energy strategies, with output levels and grid interactions trending toward a new equilibrium informed by market signals and policy environments.

Why it matters

– The current curtailment illustrates miners’ capacity to operate as flexible grid resources. By modulating demand in response to grid stress, mining operations can help prevent overloads and potential outages during extreme weather events. This adaptive behavior may influence how utilities view large-scale, electricity-intensive industries and could shape policy discussions around energy usage and grid reliability.

– The episode reinforces the geographic concentration of mining activity in the United States and its exposure to domestic weather patterns and energy pricing. While Foundry USA remains a dominant player in the landscape, the incident underscores how localized conditions can impact global hashrate metrics and network dynamics in the near term.

– The situation adds to the ongoing conversation about energy efficiency and sustainability in crypto mining. As the industry expands, the ability to balance grid demand with production becomes a key differentiator for operators and a potential pathway to greater legitimacy with policymakers and the public.

What to watch next

– Short-term hash rate recovery for Foundry USA and other U.S. pools as Fern subsides.
– Any official statements from mining operators detailing the duration and rationale of curtailments.
– Updates on grid resilience measures and utility responses to industrial loads during winter storms.
– Changes in on-chain metrics such as block times and mining difficulty as hash power rebalances.

Sources & verification

– Hashrate Index pool data on Foundry USA’s share of global hashrate and current EH/s figures.
– The MinerMag reporting on the decline in Foundry USA’s hashrate and related block-time observations.
– The Weather Channel radar and forecast data documenting Winter Storm Fern’s reach and projected impacts.

Note: The disclaimer at the end of the original article remains in place to remind readers to verify information independently.