Alcoa is nearing a deal to sell its long-idle Massena East aluminum smelter in New York to Bitcoin mining firm NYDIG, with completion expected by mid-year. The smelter, closed since 2014, offers robust infrastructure including a substation and transmission lines, and benefits from hydroelectric power via the New York Power Authority, making it ideal for digital infrastructure. This sale aligns with a broader trend of repurposing U.S. industrial sites for digital use, as seen with Century Aluminum's recent sale of its Kentucky smelter to TeraWulf for conversion into a data center. NYDIG continues to expand its mining operations amid industry shifts towards AI and cloud computing.