At an undreamt-of point, food control inspectors came across a data center.

The operator of an Asian restaurant on the Zeil, near Konstablerwache, operated several computers in the warehouse of his restaurant to mine so-called crypto currencies - and with this sideline, at least violated regulations on food law and fire protection.

The mini data center is located in a store room on the first floor and, according to the spokesman for the public order office, consists of two stations with numerous graphics cards in which data is processed.

In addition, the innkeeper stored food and drinks.

The inspectors therefore classified the additional use of the room as "misuse" and a violation of food law.

The business owner also had several gas bottles next to the computers, which in turn considers fire protection to be dangerous.

Just like the way the computers were connected to the mains.

According to the spokesman for the public order office, a cable led from the room on the first floor through a window along the house to the basement.

One-time security keys

The computers were used for so-called mining, i.e. the generation of crypto currencies, above all Bitcoin.

This is based on computing processes that are managed decentrally by many computers.

Its task is to calculate security keys for so-called data blocks that are so unique that the transactions with them cannot be manipulated.

The participants compete in solving the complex security puzzle; whoever has calculated the correct key first receives a small share of the cryptocurrency as payment.

All others come away empty-handed and start over for the next block.

Because so much data has to be processed in such a short time, the participants mostly use computer technology specializing in graphics.

Electricity costs usually exceed profit

Basically anyone can mine cryptocurrencies.

However, since the computers are running at full steam, the electricity costs usually exceed the profit.

In addition, the usual rules also apply to this money acquisition: If you want to make profits with crypto mining and build computers for it, you should register a business, recommends the Cologne tax lawyer Christopher Gehrke, who specializes in the crypto business.

It is not known whether the local owner von der Zeil has registered and taxed his digital business.

From the point of view of the public order office, however, in future he will have to decide whether he will use his warehouse for groceries or the server farm.