What’s the story
A group of Airbnb guests in North Carolina, US, mined cryptocurrency worth over $100,000 (around ₹84 lakh) during their three-week stay at a rental property.
The owner of the property was left with an electricity bill amounting to $1,500 (roughly ₹1.25 lakh).
The incident has prompted the host to implement a unique rule for future rentals: no crypto-mining allowed on the premises.
How was the crypto-mining operation discovered?
The property owner, known as Ashley Class, discovered the guests’ crypto-mining operation after they had left.
She noticed them removing at least 10 computers from the property and dismantling an improvised electric vehicle charging station.
Despite leaving the house in pristine condition and receiving a five-star review, the guests’ activities resulted in a significant increase in electricity consumption during their stay.
Guests admit to crypto-mining
After discovering the high electricity bill, Class approached Airbnb to request that the guests cover the cost.
She provided evidence of their activities and, surprisingly, they admitted to mining cryptocurrency during their stay.
In a follow-up comment on her TikTok video about the incident, Ashley revealed that the miners claimed to have made more than $100,000 from their activities.
Crypto-mining at Airbnb properties: A growing concern
Class’s experience highlights a growing trend of individuals using Airbnb properties for crypto-mining.
She stated, “It was cheaper for them to rent a house to pay for that electricity.”
In response to this incident, Ashley has now added “no crypto-mining” and “no electric vehicle charging” to her house rules. Other hosts have reported similar experiences, indicating that this may be a widespread issue.
As per reports, just 137 crypto miners use 2.3% of the total electricity generated in the US.