The video countdown to launch was scripted, and the flip of the switch at the end a ceremonial reneactment of the previous day’s power-up, but the real business of bitcoin in rural Dickens County began right in front of the crowd’s eyes May 5 during a public grand opening of Argo Blockchain’s Helios cryptocurrency mining faculty.
“We began mining about 20 minutes ago,” a buoyant Peter Wall, Argo CEO, told the audience at the end of the formal program following a “Brief History of Argo” video.
Constructing a 135,000 -square-foot warehouse, building out a cutting-edge cooling system, and stocking the facility with some 20,000 dedicated computer processors in a matter of months was, according to Argo Chief Growth Officer Justin Nolan, “no small lift.” But the Argo team got it done. Only a day earlier, 980 mining units were energized—plugged into power and ramped up to start solving blockchain equations—and began mining money Thursday morning.
U.S. Congressman Ronny Jackson, state Senator Charles Perry and state representative Dustin Burrows were among the dignitaries on hand to be a part of this historic day for West Texas. Bill Flores, vice chair of ERCOT, was also on hand.
“The winds of change are blowing” in West Texas, said Perry, “and they are not limited to generational confines” as new generations will work in emerging industries such as cryptocurrency mining, gong forward.
Thursday’s public grand opening of the firm’s Helios facility represented a joyous moment for chief technology officer Dr. Perry Hothi as well.
“Right now the adrenaline is still going,” said Hothi as some 75 guests and staffers began filing out of the computing facility into the tents for a barbecue lunch and celebratory music.
Many aspects of the complex mechanical and digital systems that validate bitcoin transactions at Helios are original to Argo, under Hothi’s guidance. The high-tech facility uses 20 megawatts of electrical power in its first phase to run tens of thousands of dedicated computers in fluid-cooled tanks, churning out “hashes,” or algorithm solutions.
Jackson, Perry and Bur rows, along with local elected officials and area residents, hope Argo’s confidence in bitcoin mining proves well placed.
“We are blessed to have something like this starting in Dickens County,” said Jackson—who admitted that like many, he’s not fully conversant with the concepts and technology yet.
The importance of wellpaying jobs in a rural economy isn’t lost on anyone, though. Wall compared the impact of 26 jobs filled by local employees to that of “an Amazon coming in, proportionally.”
Contractors from across the region have benefitted during the construction phase as well, and last week’s event alone provided gigs to the caterer, the dessert-maker, the band, the buses, the photographer, the security detail and more.
Dickens County Judge Kevin Brendle, who along with county commissioners helped pave the way for Argo to locate here, praised the community for welcoming a cutting-edge industry.
Addressing the county’s newest corporate citizens, Brendle said. “I hope you quickly learn and enjoy the best thing that we have to offer, and that’s our people.”
View our slide show of stills and videos from the Helios facilty grand opening at https://tinyurl.com/HeliosEnergized
“We began mining about 20 minutes ago,” a buoyant Peter Wall, Argo CEO, told the audience at the end of the formal program.
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