The world’s largest public cryptocurrency mining company is increasing its operating capacity with the purchase of 12 ‘BlockBoxes’ at their Drumheller facility.

Hut 8 Mining announced the purchase of the bitcoin mining data centers from BitFury on Monday, which will increase their mining capabilities at the facility located just north of Drumheller.

The purchase, subject to approval, will cost the company $13 million USD.

The boxes increase Hut 8’s bitcoin mining capacity by 20 per cent, as the company will have 85 BlockBoxes at their facilities in Drumheller and Medicine Hat.

“Our goal is to be the largest bitcoin miner in the world,” said Hut 8 president and CEO Andrew Kiguel.

Since beginning its mining operations in December 2017, Hut 8 has mined over 4,400 bitcoins.

Hut 8 Mining Corp is headquartered in Toronto.

A woman charged in relation to a multi-vehicle crash on September 19 has been sentenced for driving with a blood alcohol concentration exceeding the legal limit.

Barbara Krisher Luke appeared in Drumheller provincial court on Friday, November 9. She was facing a number of charges including impaired driving, simple possession of drugs and failure to provide the necessaries of life for a child.

These charges originated from a collision at the intersection of Highway 9 and 10 on September 19 at approximately 4 p.m. She was driving a Ford truck with her child when the vehicle appeared to have bounced off a curb and collided with a number of vehicles including a school bus. There were no students on the bus at the time of the collision.

Krisher, 24, was found to have a blood alcohol concentration of 180 milligrams of alcohol in one hundred millilitres of blood, more than twice the legal amount. She has no prior record and entered an early guilty plea.

Judge Pahl fined Krisher $1,200 plus a victims surcharge and she is suspended from driving for one year. Her remaining charges were withdrawn.