Crypto mining is overheating the Earth — and satellites just proved it. High-resolution thermal satellite imagery from UK-based SatVu has revealed the substantial energy footprint of one of the largest Bitcoin mining facilities in the United States, located in Rockdale, Texas—widely identified as Riot Platforms' operation, with a developed capacity of around 700 megawatts (equivalent to the power needs of roughly 300,000 homes). Captured by SatVu's HotSat-1 satellite using infrared sensors at a 3.5-meter resolution, the images highlight intense heat emissions from active cooling systems, transformers, and substations, while dormant areas appear cooler. This provides a direct, near-real-time view of operational load and energy dissipation. Such orbital thermal monitoring introduces unprecedented transparency for high-energy industries like cryptocurrency mining, where power consumption is enormous and self-reported data can lack verification. It enables independent assessment by regulators, researchers, and the public, bypassing promotional claims or delayed disclosures. As demand surges for AI, cloud computing, and crypto infrastructure, global data center investments are projected to surpass $7 trillion by 2030, according to McKinsey, with these facilities already contributing about 0.5% of worldwide CO₂ emissions. Bitcoin mining remains particularly intensive, with estimates suggesting a single transaction can produce CO₂ emissions comparable to driving a gasoline-powered car significant distances. SatVu emphasizes that the technology's purpose extends beyond surveillance to supporting informed decisions on efficiency, sustainability, and grid impacts as more facilities proliferate.