US Releases Bitcoin Miners After Seizure: Can American Mining Firms Survive Without Chinese-Made ASICs?

Months after observing thousands of Chinese-made Bitcoin mining equipment being held in impound, United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) began to release some of them. There were reports that fewer than 10,000 were removed from US ports due to fear of regulatory problems. The crisis originated from U.S.-China trade tensions surrounding semiconductor technology. Technocrats report that delays were politically motivated, with some executives resisting Bitcoin mining.

US Authorities Target Chinese Mining Hardware

The CBP targeted Chinese mining hardware producers, specifically Bitmain’s Antminer S21 and T21 models. Detentions were first associated with concerns about compliance regulations by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Agencies subsequently widened seizures to encompass other manufacturers, such as MicroBT and Canaan.

One of the main reasons behind the captures was the participation of Sophgo, a Chinese chip maker that is under U.S. sanctions. The authorities flagged its chips in a Huawei AI processor, and sanction violation fears followed. 

Industry Leaders Respond to the Crackdown

Bitcoin mining executives have criticized the extended detentions. Taras Kulyk, CEO of Synteq Digital, confirmed that “thousands of units have been released,” though a significant number remain held. He suggested that some CBP officials deliberately created obstacles for the industry.

Ethan Vera, COO of Luxor Technology, noted that only a minority of shipments have been cleared so far. He added that authorities cited radio frequency emissions as a reason for the delays, though industry experts dismissed these claims. Meanwhile, reports suggest that further detentions of mining rigs from MicroBT and Canaan have occurred in recent months.

Crypto Community Reacts to US Customs Decision

Analysts think that this crackdown is in line with the move by the U.S. to encourage local Bitcoin manufacturing and decrease dependence on Chinese mining hardware. But they have also caught American mining companies in the backlash, preventing them from upgrading and expanding their equipment.

US customs starts releasing Chinese-made Bitcoin miners after regulatory holdup

Customs and Border Protection has started releasing some shipments, according to recent reports.

👉 More details: https://t.co/DCsPBTQUc1 pic.twitter.com/M2VTkZ9r0N

— crypto.news (@crypto_dot_news) March 6, 2025

A leading crypto news handle tweeted on March 6 that “US customs starts releasing Chinese-made Bitcoin miners after regulatory holdup. Customs and Border Protection has started releasing some shipments, according to recent reports.” The news was received with a blend of feelings, with most players in the sector thinking that only a percentage of the shipments had been released.

Trump’s Push for US-Based Bitcoin Mining

Former President Donald Trump has consistently supported domestic Bitcoin production, advocating for the U.S. to mine the remaining Bitcoin within its borders. His administration’s policies aimed to limit Bitcoin hash rate growth by restricting imports of foreign mining rigs. However, this has also impacted American mining firms, preventing them from upgrading and expanding their operations.

While some of the detained equipment has been set free, the rest are still in detention, and the regulatory context remains uncertain. If Chinese equipment is still forbidden, U.S.-based operators will have trouble with the supply chain. The ongoing trade tensions between the U.S. and China are a determining factor for the future of mining rig imports.

Will the US Continue to Restrict Its Crypto Mining?

The partial release of Bitcoin mining rigs is a significant development, but long-term regulatory uncertainty remains. With government officials demanding the return of domestic Bitcoin production to their shores, dependency on foreign importation of mining machinery is growing under ever-more intense scrutiny. Crypto authorities will await any policy measures that might influence future U.S. Bitcoin mining.