On April 26, the State of New York put itself at the forefront of the regulatory struggle with crypto, as its Assembly voted for a two-year moratorium on crypto mining operations that use energy generated by fossil-fuel power plants. Depending on how one looks at it, this development could either signal a new alarming legislative trend or a trigger that would accelerate the digital asset industry’s movement toward a more sustainable path.

The lower chamber of the NY state legislature, the Assembly, passed a bill that would put a two-year hold on any new mining operations using the proof-of-work (PoW) consensus mechanism, as well as on the renewal of existing permits.

The bill, S6486D/A7389C, is marketed by its sponsors as a necessary act of compliance with the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act and its goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030. The bill also mandates a “generic environmental impact statement” to be made by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), which should evaluate the energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions of PoW miners and their impact on public health.

Next up for the bill is a vote in the upper chamber, the State Senate, after which, if approved, it would go to Governor Kathy Hochul, who can either veto it or sign it into law.

The advocacy group Blockchain Association believes that the “anti-technology” bill can still be sunk in the Senate. The heated debate in the Assembly lasted for three hours, and the vote ended up far from unanimous: 95 in favor, 52 against.

The passage of the bill triggered an alarm from the crypto community. The Crypto Council for Innovation shared a concern that the initiative could put innovation on the back burner. Kyle,