According to Cointelegraph, a Delaware court has issued a temporary restraining order in favor of Consensus Colocation, a Bitcoin mining firm from Pennsylvania, in its ongoing payment dispute with hosting provider Mawson Infrastructure Group. The court's decision prevents Mawson from blocking access to or using the 21,000 mining rigs owned by Consensus at the Midland, Pennsylvania facility.
Vice Chancellor Morgan Zurn granted the order on March 12, following a request from Consensus Colocation and its systems owner, Stone Ridge Ventures. The dispute centers around alleged unpaid fees, the terms of their agreement, and Consensus's plans to relocate. Consensus claims that Mawson has been operating the rigs for its own benefit since February 28, after blocking Consensus's personnel from accessing the site. Mawson, however, argues that their agreement allows them to use the rigs and grants them the right of first refusal regarding relocation plans.
The restraining order prohibits Mawson from utilizing the hashrate generated by the miners and restricts them from limiting Consensus's digital and physical access to the equipment. This order will remain in effect until a preliminary injunction hearing can be held. Mawson Infrastructure Group and Consensus Colocation have not yet responded to requests for comment.
The legal conflict began with a complaint filed on March 6, where Consensus accused Mawson of using their Bitcoin mining rigs, valued at $30 million, to generate daily profits between $100,000 and $200,000 while denying Consensus access both physically and through VPN. The two companies had entered into a colocation agreement in December 2023, which was set to end by March 2025, with a phased reduction in capacity and a removal process starting on March 3.
Mawson contends that it is owed fees and electricity prepayments for February and March, and claims that the colocation agreement permits them to redirect the hashrate to cover these costs. However, Consensus's legal representatives argue that the agreement's terms were only applicable before April 1, 2024, and under specific conditions related to deposit replenishment. They assert that Mawson's actions have resulted in the unauthorized use of hashrate worth significantly more than the $17,505.45 Mawson claims is owed in late fees.
