$23.6B in blocked US data center projects mapped to China-linked network, report finds

A nonprofit network with alleged ties to China’s Communist Party has helped block or delay $23.6 billion worth of AI data center projects across the United States, according to a June 2026 report from the Bitcoin Policy Institute (BPI). The report traces 21 local anti-data-center campaigns spanning 14 states back to the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) and its connections to tech entrepreneur-turned-activist Neville Roy Singham.

The campaigns identified in the report have produced 10 temporary moratoria, one permanent ban, and four projects that were either rejected by local authorities or withdrawn by developers outright, the BPI found. Because data centers underpin both AI compute and cryptocurrency mining operations, the blocked capacity represents stranded demand that could reshape where future infrastructure investment lands.

Wisconsin and Maryland projects among the biggest casualties

Two blocked developments account for the bulk of the delayed capital, according to the report. A $12 billion Blackstone-backed AI campus in Wisconsin was halted, while a $5 billion facility in Maryland met a similar fate. Together, those two projects represent more than $17 billion of the $23.6 billion total the BPI attributes to the campaign network.

The report says Singham has funneled hundreds of millions of dollars into left-wing organizing over recent years, funded largely by proceeds from the 2017 sale of his software consulting firm Thoughtworks for approximately $785 million. Since then, the BPI alleges he has built an extensive nonprofit network producing anti-AI content that closely mirrors narratives pushed by Chinese state media, specifically flagging amplification of anti-data-center messaging through those outlets as evidence of coordination rather than coincidence.

Congress reacts with bipartisan scrutiny

The findings have already prompted a response in Washington. House Republicans launched inquiries in June 2026 demanding investigations into China’s potential influence over US AI infrastructure development, while Senator Tom Cotton called for a thorough examination of how foreign-funded ideological campaigns are manifesting as local opposition to critical technology projects.

Singham had already faced congressional scrutiny before this report, with earlier inquiries examining his links to the Chinese Communist Party. The BPI report adds a new dimension by tying his nonprofit network to concrete economic consequences measured in the tens of billions of dollars.

Why crypto and AI investors should pay attention

Data centers serve as the physical backbone for both AI workloads and Bitcoin mining operations, and local moratoria typically don’t distinguish between the two use cases. That means the blocked $23.6 billion in projects could translate into reduced power capacity and site availability for crypto miners in affected states, not just AI firms.

Investors in publicly traded data center REITs, AI infrastructure companies, and crypto mining firms should track which states manage to streamline permitting going forward, as those jurisdictions could capture an outsized share of new compute investment. The dynamic risks creating clear geographic winners and losers in the broader race to build out AI and crypto infrastructure across the US.

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