A small community in North Texas is taking an extraordinary step to fight back against the relentless noise from a massive cryptocurrency mining operation. Residents of Hood County, southwest of Fort Worth, have gathered enough signatures to put incorporation on the November ballot — potentially creating the city of Mitchell Bend with the explicit goal of passing noise ordinances against a MARA Holdings-owned Bitcoin mine.
TL;DR
- Hood County residents are voting in November 2025 on whether to incorporate as the city of Mitchell Bend
- The move is a direct response to noise from a MARA Holdings (formerly Marathon) Bitcoin mining facility
- The facility houses nearly 60,000 mining computers about half a mile from residential homes
- MARA has built a 24-foot soundproofing wall and replaced 67% of fans with immersion cooling, but residents say it is not enough
- Texas counties cannot set noise ordinances — only cities and the state can — forcing residents to incorporate
- Texas hosts at least 27 Bitcoin mining facilities, making it the top crypto mining state in the U.S.
The Sound That Never Stops
Danny Lakey and his wife bought their log home in rural Hood County in 2021, drawn by the promise of quiet country living. They spent evenings on rocking chairs watching the sun set behind neighboring cattle ranches. That tranquility shattered in 2023 when a cryptocurrency facility moved in roughly half a mile away.
Residents describe the noise as a plane that never lands, or a lawnmower that never shuts off. A county commissioner compared it to sleeping with a leaf blower under a pillow. Thousands of cooling fans run around the clock, pushing air through nearly 60,000 computers racing to mine Bitcoin in steel containers positioned less than 100 yards from mobile homes where families live.
Third-party sound measurements commissioned by the county recorded noise levels between 35 and 53 decibels in neighborhoods within a one-mile radius, with readings near the facility hitting 60 decibels. While below the statewide ordinance threshold of 85 decibels, the constant, unrelenting nature of the hum has driven residents indoors and emptied porches across the community.
MARA’s Mitigation Efforts Fall Short
MARA Holdings, the $5 billion Bitcoin mining company formerly known as Marathon, has not ignored the complaints entirely. The company extended a 2,000-foot-long, 24-foot-tall soundproofing wall and replaced approximately 67% of its air-cooling fans with an immersion cooling system that submerges mining hardware in special liquid to dissipate heat more quietly.
However, residents report that these measures have produced only marginal improvements. The remaining air-cooled machines and the sheer scale of the operation continue to generate a persistent hum that dominates the soundscape of the surrounding area.
Why a New City?
The community initially turned to Hood County commissioners for relief, requesting local noise limits on the facility. But under Texas law, counties lack the authority to regulate noise — only municipalities and the state legislature hold that power. This legal gap left residents with a stark choice: accept the noise or build a city from scratch.
The resulting incorporation drive collected sufficient signatures to place the measure on the November 2025 ballot. If approved by the roughly 250 registered voters in the area, Mitchell Bend would encompass two square miles, count approximately 600 residents, and feature a single stop sign. Its primary purpose would be exercising municipal authority to enact noise regulations targeting industrial cryptocurrency operations.
Texas: America’s Mining Capital
Texas has become the undisputed epicenter of Bitcoin mining in the United States, hosting at least 27 cryptocurrency facilities according to the Texas Blockchain Council. The state’s deregulated power grid, abundant renewable energy, and business-friendly regulatory environment have attracted major mining operations from across the globe.
The Mitchell Bend situation highlights a growing tension between the economic ambitions of the crypto mining industry and the quality of life of rural communities caught in its footprint. As mining operations scale up across the state, the Hood County precedent could inspire similar incorporation movements in other affected communities.
Why This Matters
The Mitchell Bend incorporation vote represents a novel civic response to the physical externalities of cryptocurrency mining. While most regulatory debates around mining focus on energy consumption and environmental impact, this Texas community is drawing attention to an equally pressing but often overlooked issue: the acoustic impact on neighboring residents. If Mitchell Bend successfully incorporates and enforces noise ordinances, it could establish a template for other communities nationwide grappling with the unintended consequences of industrial-scale crypto mining operating in their backyards. The outcome of this vote carries implications that extend well beyond Hood County — it tests whether grassroots democracy can adapt to regulate an industry that moves faster than traditional governance structures.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Cryptocurrency investments carry significant risk. Always conduct your own research before making investment decisions.
60,000 machines half a mile from homes and Texas counties cant set noise ordinances. the fact that incorporation is their only option tells you everything about how backwards this is
forming a whole city just to pass noise rules is the most Texan solution possible lol. good for them though, nobody should deal with a permanent leaf blower under their pillow
MARA built a 24-foot wall and replaced 67% of fans with immersion cooling and its still not enough. thats how loud 60k rigs are. immersion cooling should have been day one, not an afterthought
27 mining facilities in Texas alone. this Hood County fight is going to set a precedent for every other community near a mine. watch this space