Bitcoin miner RM600k poorer

SERDANG: A Bitcoin miner lost RM600,000 worth of cryptocurrency mining equipment when burglars broke into a shop on Wednesday in Puncak Jalil, Seri Kembangan and carted away the items.
According to police, the miner had only a day earlier moved the equipment, comprising of 40 sets of the Antminer S9 mining machine and the Bitmain power supply unit, to the third floor of the shop which belongs to his friend who operates a car accessories business.
It is learnt that the miner had moved the equipment to his friend's shop because his own premises were undergoing renovations. He had planned to carry out mining operations for about 10 days.
Serdang police chief ACP Megat Mohamad Aminuddin Megat Alias said today that the car accessories businessman, aged 29, told police that he left his shop at about 12.40am on Wednesday and on returning to the place at about 9am, the man found that a padlock on the main door had been cut off.
When checking the place, the businessman found his friend's Bitcoin mining equipment missing.
Megat said footage retrieved from a close-circuit security camera installed in the shop showed four men burgling the premises.
He said investigations are ongoing and forensics police had combed the place for clues, lifting 22 fingerprint samples.
With the surging price of Bitcoin that soared close to RM90,000 a month ago, many Malaysians have decided to mine the cryptocurrency on their own to reap wealth from the venture.