News Release

Whinstone US Breaks Ground to Build the World’s Largest Bitcoin Mining Facility in Rockdale, Texas

The Company Anticipates an Initial Capital Investment of $150m and 200 New Jobs

Rockdale, Texas, November 1, 2019:

The Rockdale Municipal Development District (MDD) confirms today; Whinstone US, INC., has announced its plans to build a 100-acre data mining facility in Rockdale, Milam County, Texas. The group has secured construction contracts for the project featuring a capacity of 1 Gigawatt of electrical service, fortifying their interest to build the world’s largest purpose-built data center dedicated to blockchain, video rendering, and artificial intelligence technology.

A formal groundbreaking ceremony will take place at the Rockdale site on Thursday, November 7, 2019. However, construction work has already begun and will continue in three phases. Phase one consists of 300 Megawatts powering 180,000 sq. ft. of computers scheduled to be ready in the 1^st quarter of 2020 and the full capacity of 1 Gigawatt achieved in the 4^th quarter of 2020. Initial customers include two publicly traded companies using a significant share of the capacity to perform Bitcoin mining on the site.

“Building the world’s largest Bitcoin Mining facility in Texas is a big step for our fast-growing company and a great success for the blockchain industry in the United States,” explains Lyle Theriot, COO, and Co-Founder of Whinstone US. “The conditions are excellent, and our customers’ demand is overwhelming. We see our new facility as a game-changer in the industry and are excited to expand on US soil.”

Whinstone US, INC. has entered into a long-term lease agreement with Alcoa Corporation for a 100-acre greenfield site located at Alcoa’s former industrial complex. The company anticipates an initial capital investment of $100m in the construction of buildings and other real property improvements for the data center. Additionally, it plans another $50m in furniture, fixtures, and equipment that includes the installation of computer shelving, electrical equipment, security servers, and similar equipment to manage and maintain a data center in the first year. As utility infrastructure comes online, subsequent buildings will be added to the corporate campus-style design of the new Whinstone home in Rockdale, TX.

The Rockdale Municipal Development District (MDD), Milam County Industrial Development Corporation, and Milam County Commissioners Court are currently processing an economic development incentive package. The incentive package includes an Ad Valorem Tax Abatement that is anticipated to be phased in over multiple years.

“The 200 new jobs, in addition to an estimated 51 spin-off jobs, are significant for the District,” said Dr. John Weed III, president of the Rockdale MDD. “Moreover, being the home of the world’s largest data center will significantly increase Rockdale’s exposure to the technology industry. Projects such as these typically cluster together, and others will likely follow. The geographic location of Rockdale, nearly equal distance from Dallas/Ft. Worth, Houston, and San Antonio is known as a strategic advantage for businesses that are located and thriving here. The MDD will continue to work towards the additional growth of jobs and investment in the Rockdale area. I appreciate the assistance and support from the MDD Board of Directors, its staff, and Alcoa Inc. Alcoa has been vigilant stewards of our community, and have been actively working with us to attract industry and economic development to the Rockdale site.”

“We are welcoming Whinstone US as our newest technology business,” says Milam County Judge Steve Young. “This is an exciting time for Milam County. Whinstone intends to build the world’s largest blockchain development center, and we are looking forward to supporting them in their future growth.”

“The Whinstone management team and shareholders will relocate to Milam County making it our home,” said Aroosh Thillainathan, Founder-CEO of Whinstone US, INC. “Our company believes it is our responsibility to contribute to the well-being of our communities by creating employment opportunities, promote entrepreneurship, and ’on the ground community interaction.’ We align these same values in selecting our clients.”

“Whinstone US, INC. is a win-win for everyone involved, Whinstone’s commitment to the City of Rockdale and Milam County is already evident,” said John King, Mayor of the City of Rockdale. “The Whinstone team has made every effort to keep all facets of their project as local as possible. They are hiring local contractors, suppliers, and utilizing our hotels, retail, and entertainment establishments. The potential for financial return and infrastructure development is self-evident for this project, and sets the city and county up for future success.”

The Whinstone Group and the management team have a successful track record in the Blockchain industry since 2014, including building and running mining-facilities in the Netherlands, Sweden, and Louisiana.

About Rockdale Municipal Development District

The Rockdale Municipal Development District (MDD) was created by voters in May 2010 and began levying a 1/2 percent sales tax starting October 1, 2010 on all items in the district boundaries that are subject to the general sales tax. The MDD permissible project jurisdiction includes the City of Rockdale and all of the territory outside of the city limits of Rockdale, Texas but only to the extent that territory is in the Rockdale Independent School District

It is the mission of the MDD to aid the City of Rockdale and interested private or public entities in making the community a better place to live, work, and do business. In so doing, the MDD may help develop and finance any permissible project, as defined in Chapter 377 of the Texas Local Government Code, that benefits, strengthens, and diversifies the economic base of Rockdale. RockdaleMDD.org   

About Whinstone US, INC.

Whinstone US has created a unique solution that lies within the framework for tiered Data Centers. The firm shines in its ability to design and build quickly, provide custom design solutions, and navigate the complex world of large-scale electricity procurement. Whinstone US is a colocation partner serving cryptocurrency and graphics rendering clients. Its systems provide the best technology, design, and software to run large scale computing facilities. With the company’s extensive background in heavy construction, electrical engineering, and networking solutions, it plays a role in pushing this industry forward. Whinstone.US