Cops Use Steamroller to Crush Bitcoin Mining Rigs

A crushing defeat for Bitcoin miners in Malaysia: Authorities in the city of Miri used a steamroller to flatten 1,069 Bitcoin mining rigs in the police station's parking lot, CNBC reports. The machines, which solve complex equations to unlock blocks of the cryptocurrency, were used in illegal operations that stole around $2 million in electricity from power lines, authorities say. Police say the arrested miners, who will serve eight months in prison, also burned three houses down while stealing electricity for the energy-intensive process, reports PCMag. The seized equipment was worth around $1.25 million and while police had the option of selling it, they decided to send a more dramatic message. (More bitcoin stories.)