Even though Bitmain managed to expand its China-based ASIC chip manufacturing to Switzerland and Canada, it is currently looking to add more facilities to the Pacific Northwest region of the United States.

Bitmain Technologies Limited is a Chinese –based company founded in 2013, which specializes in research, development and distribution of custom mining chips and mining gear. Bitmain also owns mining pool AntPool and bitcoin web wallet, BTC.com.

Jihan Wu, the co-founder of Bitmain, is the only person administering Ant Creek LLC, a company in the Port of Walla Walla, Washington, which was registered in June 2017, according to companies-numbers.com.

In a news article published by the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin on March 8, 2018, the city was thinking of signing a land-use agreement with Ant Creek, which would allow the company to rent land starting from 2019, with the possibility of purchasing up to 40 acres.

The report also explains that the company would use the land for developing and operating a cryptocurrency mining establishment. “Port Executive Director Patrick Reay said his agency has been working with Ant Creek LLC for about six months on the development of a blockchain facility.”

“Our purpose is to generate assessed value and create jobs,” said Reay. The Ant Creek proposal will produce up to 20 jobs and $10 million in private investment that goes to the city.

Some areas such as Plattsburgh, New York, are worried about the electric consumption that crypto mining require, and are considering banning mining, while other places such as Quebec, Canada, are embracing mining facilities.

Reay said the Port of Walla Walla doesn’t have Plattsburgh’s unease regarding power consumption. “The Port of Walla Walla, as a municipal entity, is not in the electrical business, as we do not sell electrical service. We have two electrical providers in Walla Walla County, Columbia REA and Pacific Power,” said Reay.