New York-based crypto-mining service provider Foundry USA takes the lead to become the world’s second-largest Bitcoin (BTC) mining pool after taking up a 15.42% share of the network. Data from BTC.com shows that Digital Currency Group-owned Foundry USA stands behind the pool leader AntPool by a hash rate of just 4,000 PH/s, which contributed to a 17.76% network share at the time of writing. The rise in the participation of American entities can be attributed to China’s recent blanket ban on crypto trading and mining activities. The ban forced a large-scale migration of local Bitcoin miners, who now reside in …

Shares of crypto mining company Riot Blockchain (RIOT) plunged on Thusday, giving back a portion of a parabolic rally that was largely driven by news of a major boost in hash rate capacity. RIOT fell 20.4% to close at $62.03 on Thursday but was moving slightly higher in after-hours trading. At current values, RIOT has a total market capitalization of $4.2 billion, making it one of the largest companies in the blockchain industry. The sharp pullback follows a more than doubling in price between Feb. 10 and Feb. 17. The weeklong rally saw RIOT peak just below $78.00 before Thursday’s …