Profile in Brief
Aviran Vargas is a crypto expert witness who runs bitcoin mining operations for a living. He directs operations and infrastructure at EZ Blockchain, a bitcoin mining hosting company, across more than 60 MW of ASIC mining capacity, and spent the ten years before that working in a national Comcast data center. He has been retained six times as an expert: a federal criminal case, a federal jury trial, and four American Arbitration Association arbitrations. His opinions cover bitcoin mining operations, ASIC hardware value and failure causation, hosting agreements, and damages. He works for plaintiffs and defendants alike.
At a Glance
- Current role: Director of Operations and Infrastructure at EZ Blockchain, across more than 60 MW of ASIC mining capacity.
- Experience: more than ten years working in data centers, followed by five years in bitcoin mining.
- Expert record: retained six times and testified five times.
- Forums: U.S. District Court (a federal jury trial and a federal criminal case) and American Arbitration Association arbitration.
- Retained by: plaintiffs and defendants.
- Subjects: bitcoin mining operations, ASIC hardware value and failure causation, hosting agreements, and damages.
- Not covered: blockchain tracing or recovering stolen funds.
- Availability: nationwide, for expert reports, depositions, and trial and arbitration testimony.
Testimony and Retention List
Matters in which Aviran has been retained as an expert, most recent first. Arbitrations are confidential, so they are listed by subject only.
| Matter | Forum | Role | Subject of opinions |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States v. Kovar 2026, in progress | U.S. District Court, District of Nevada | Retained by the Federal Public Defender | Retained to opine on background information about cryptocurrency, blockchain technology, and cryptocurrency mining, and to explain them to a federal jury. |
| Confidential AAA arbitration 2026, in progress | American Arbitration Association | Expert witness | Bitcoin mining site operations, ASIC hardware failures, and damages. |
| Confidential AAA arbitration 2026, in progress | American Arbitration Association | Expert witness | Day-to-day bitcoin mining operations. |
| Confidential AAA arbitration 2026 | American Arbitration Association | Expert witness | Testified to the value of ASIC equipment and to general contract expectations and operational practices in the bitcoin mining industry. |
| Crypto Infiniti v. EZ Blockchain 2025 | U.S. District Court, federal jury trial in Chicago | Expert witness for the defense | Testified on bitcoin mining operational practices and ASIC equipment performance. The jury returned a complete defense verdict on a $15M claim. |
| Confidential AAA arbitration 2024 to 2025 | American Arbitration Association | Expert witness | Testified on the design and functionality of mining containers (pods) and on the operational practices behind the claimant’s unsuccessful operations. |
Disclosure: EZ Blockchain, the defendant in Crypto Infiniti, is Aviran’s employer. His other engagements, including United States v. Kovar and the AAA arbitrations, are unrelated to EZ Blockchain. The testified count includes trial, arbitration hearing, and deposition testimony. A full Rule 26 testimony list is available to retaining counsel on request.
Professional Experience
September 2025 to present
Director of Operations & Infrastructure
EZ Blockchain
Directs operations across multiple U.S. cryptocurrency mining data centers and more than 60 MW of capacity. Oversees logistics and RMA workflows, automated monitoring (DCIM, Foreman, OptiFleet), and vendor contracts with ISPs, ASIC manufacturers, and energy providers. Final escalation point for critical operational and client issues.
October 2021 to September 2025
Data Center Operations Manager, Operations & Site Reliability
EZ Blockchain
Implemented and validated the first SB3000 container deployments, wrote the company’s bitcoin mining data center manual, built the metrics suite for expenses, profitability, and hashrate, and ran airflow studies to improve ASIC cooling.
June 2011 to October 2021
Lead Engineer, then Site Manager
Comcast Data Center Services, Northlake, IL
Led a 13-engineer, 24/7 team at one of Comcast’s five national data centers (21,000+ servers), then managed the site and 35 remote headends, data centers, and communication rooms. Wrote data center manuals, cabling standards, and support procedures.
The full equipment history (servers, network, storage, and every ASIC generation he has run) is in the CV and in the full career history below.
Full career history
From pulling Cat5 cable at a startup repair shop to managing 60+ MW of Bitcoin mining infrastructure, every day built the hands-on expertise that defines Aviran's testimony and consulting today.
September 2025 to Present
Director of Operations & Infrastructure
EZ Blockchain · Chicago, IL
Directs strategic operations across multiple U.S. cryptocurrency mining data centers, driving scalability for 60+ MW of capacity. Enforces company-wide processes and procedures; optimizes logistics and RMA workflows. Deployed automated monitoring (DCIM, Foreman, OptiFleet). Negotiates vendor contracts with ISPs, ASIC manufacturers, and energy providers. Serves as final escalation point for all critical operational and client issues.
Multi-Site Operations
Directs day-to-day operations across multiple U.S. Bitcoin mining data centers. Responsible for all site supervisors, technicians, and support staff. Serves as final escalation point for every critical operational and client issue.
Compliance & Security
Oversees cybersecurity and access controls across all sites. Developed and enforces company-wide processes and procedures.
Automated Monitoring
Spearheaded deployment of automated monitoring systems including DCIM, Foreman, and OptiFleet, minimizing downtime through real-time network and environmental oversight across the full portfolio.
Financial Reporting
Oversees financial and operational reporting, delivering actionable metrics on expenses, profitability, and hash rate performance to executive leadership. Forecasts Bitcoin and energy market trends to guide strategic hardware investments.
Vendor & Client Relations
Negotiates strategic contracts with ISPs, ASIC manufacturers (Bitmain, MicroBT), and energy providers. Conducts client audits and presents performance reports to enhance hosting customer retention and satisfaction.
Cooling & Infrastructure
Optimizes cooling and airflow strategies through advanced studies, improving equipment longevity and hashing efficiency. Led infrastructure expansions including Smartbox SB3000 deployments and facility upgrades to meet growing demand.
Current Operational KPIs
- Portfolio Capacity: 60+ MW
- BTC Hashing Uptime Target: 95%+
- Monitoring Systems: DCIM · Foreman · OptiFleet
ASIC Hardware Currently Under Management
Full deployment, operation, RMA, maintenance, and decommissioning lifecycle management.
October 2021 to September 2025
Data Center Operations Manager, Operations & Site Reliability
EZ Blockchain · Chicago, IL
Implemented and validated the first SB3000 container deployments. Ensured redundant, secure network installation. Developed the complete Bitcoin Mining DC Manual. Created full metrics suite for expenses, profitability, BTC hash, and daily operational reports. Managed ASIC mining equipment, network infrastructure, and staff. Conducted airflow management studies and improvements for more efficient ASIC cooling and hashing.
June 2011 to October 2021
Lead Engineer (Engineer III) → Site Manager
Comcast Data Center Services · Northlake, IL
Started as Lead Engineer for a team of 13 engineers, 24/7/365, at one of Comcast's five National Data Centers housing 21,000+ servers. Began managing site after 3 years, also overseeing 35 remote headends, data centers, and communication rooms nationwide. Supervised all installs, decommissions, and migrations; created DC manuals, cabling standards, and Tier I support procedures; managed all field engineer access and badge authorization.
Servers: HP ProLiant DL360 G7/G8/G9, DL380 G7/G8/G9, DL560 G8, DL580 G8, BL460c Gen8/Gen9 (HP BladeSystem c7000/c3000 chassis); Dell PowerEdge R720, R720xd, R620, R520, R730, R730xd, R630, M710/M710HD/M820 blades (Dell PowerEdge M1000e chassis); IBM System x3550 M4/M5, x3650 M4/M5, x3850 X6; Cisco UCS B200 M3/M4/M5, B230 M2, B420 M3 (Cisco UCS 5108 chassis); Supermicro SuperServer 6028R-TR, 2028R-C1R4+; HP Moonshot m710x/m800 cartridge servers.
Networking: Cisco Catalyst 6509-E/6513 (Supervisor 720-3BXL & Sup2T), Cisco Nexus 5596UP, 5672UP, 6004, 7009, 7010, 7706 core fabric; Cisco ASR 9001/9006 edge routers; Cisco Catalyst 3750X, 3850, 4507R+E, 4510R+E access layer; Cisco Nexus 2248TP/2232PP fabric extenders (FEX); Juniper EX4200, EX4300, QFX5100 top-of-rack; Arista 7050SX, 7160 data center switching; F5 BIG-IP LTM 2000s/4000s/6900 load balancers; Palo Alto PA-3020/PA-5020 firewalls; Brocade ICX 6450/6610; APC InfraStruXure/Symmetra LX UPS systems.
Storage: EMC VNX5300/VNX5500/VNX5700, EMC VMAX 10K, NetApp FAS3240/FAS3270/FAS8040, HP 3PAR StoreServ 7200/7400. Certified all copper (Cat6/Cat6A) and fiber (OM3/OM4 multimode, OS2 single-mode) cabling with Fluke DTX-1800 and Fluke DSX-5000 CableAnalyzer.
January 2010 to June 2011
Data Center Infrastructure Engineer
Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME Group) · Chicago & Naperville, IL
Engineer at CME's data centers, the backbone of global financial derivatives trading. Racked, stacked, and cabled thousands of servers including HP ProLiant DL360/DL380 G6/G7, BL490c blades; Dell PowerEdge R710, R610, R510, M610/M710 blades; IBM System x3550/x3650 M2, iDataPlex dx360 M2; Sun Oracle SPARC T4-1/T4-2. Networking: Cisco Catalyst 6506-E/6509-E (Sup 720-3BXL), Cisco Nexus 5020/7010, Force10 S4810 ToR, HP ProCurve 5412zl. Installed and tested OM3/OM4 fiber and Cat6/Cat6A cabling; certified with Fluke DTX-1200/1800.
Cable Labeling Automation: Developed early automation workflows for cable label generation: structured naming conventions, batch-printing scripts, and documentation templates used across thousands of cable runs. These systems became the documentation standards carried through Comcast and later codified into EZ Blockchain's full operational manual.
February 2000 to January 2010
Central Lead, IT Support
Kiddie Kandids Portrait Studios · IL, IN, MO, WI
Managed computer systems and small networks across 12+ local and remote studios in four states. Installed all PC and Mac hardware, networked all systems, provided remote support via VNC and Timbuktu. Worked with Dell, Photogenic, and Apple on equipment RMA. Traveled 30% of the time for maintenance and emergency break/fix.
September 1996 to January 2000
Manager / Owner, Cathedral Computer Consultants
Chicago, IL
Founded and operated a computer repair and consulting shop. Built white-box systems for retail sale. Pulled and terminated Cat3, Cat5, and Cat6 cable; punched down on phone blocks. Repaired Apple, PCs, laptops, and game consoles. Hired, trained, managed, and terminated employees. Traveled to client locations for break/fix engagements.
By the Numbers
- 21K+ Servers Managed: Comcast National DC, Northlake IL
- 60 MW Mining Capacity: EZ Blockchain portfolio under management
- 35 Remote DCs Supervised: Headends, DCs, comm rooms (Comcast)
- 6× Retained as Expert Witness: 5× testified · 5 depositions · September 2026 most recent
Certifications & Training
Areas of Expertise
- Crypto expert testimony: depositions, federal trial, and AAA arbitration
- Bitcoin mining operations, uptime, and lost mining revenue
- ASIC hosting operations and hardware failure causation
- Crypto hosting agreements, deposits, and damages
- Crypto arbitration before AAA panels
- ASIC hardware valuation as of a specific date (Bitmain Antminer, MicroBT WhatsMiner, Canaan Avalon)
Certifications and Languages
- IDCA Data Center Standards
- Blockchain Fundamentals
- Microsoft Excel 2019 Expert
- Bilingual: English and Spanish
Publications and Media
In the Press
Esbrook P.C. Press Release · March 2025
Esbrook P.C. Secures Complete Defense Verdict for EZ Blockchain in $15M Cryptocurrency Dispute
Following a multi-day federal jury trial in Chicago, the jury entered a unanimous verdict in favor of EZ Blockchain on all claims: fraud, breach of four contracts, unjust enrichment, and constructive trust. Aviran was one of three cryptocurrency expert witnesses at trial.
Interviews
- YouTube interview with former FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer: The Bitcoin Angle of the Nancy Guthrie Kidnapping Case, and a follow-up Q&A
The Bitcoin Angle of the Nancy Guthrie Kidnapping Case: Aviran joined investigative commentator and former FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer to break down the cryptocurrency side of the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping case, explaining how bitcoin works, how it moves, and what it means for an investigation of this kind.
Follow-Up Q&A: Bitcoin, Blockchain, and the Questions Everyone Asked: In a follow-up conversation with Jennifer Coffindaffer, Aviran answered viewer questions about bitcoin, blockchain, and how digital assets show up in real criminal cases, in plain language anyone can follow.
Published Articles
Bylined articles on cryptocurrency, mining operations, and expert testimony.
- Choosing the Right Crypto Expert Witness (JurisPro)
- The Crypto Layers (JurisPro)
- They’re Coming for Your Money (JurisPro)
- The Impossible Task Nobody Wanted Is the One You Should Take (JurisPro)
In progress: The 7 Layers of Crypto, a paper defining each layer of the crypto stack and the roadmap that connects them.
Speaking
Conference Panelist · Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, IL
Speaker: "Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity" Conference
Aviran presented to CIOs, VPs, Directors, DR Managers, and Infrastructure & Security Managers on designing resilient infrastructure, ransomware readiness, avoiding "all or nothing" fail-over approaches, and data center modernization strategies for business continuity.
Field Insights
Operations
Hosting Agreement Terms That Recur in Disputes
Uptime definitions, force majeure, curtailment, deposits, and exit terms come up again and again in public hosting disputes. What each term covers, and how each side tends to read it.
Read on the blog: Mining hosting agreements, terms that recur in disputes →
Operations
ASIC Downtime: Hardware, Facility, and Grid Causes
Downtime can come from hardware faults, site conditions, power events, or curtailment. Telling them apart starts with thermal data, PSU and hashboard diagnostics, and the miners' own logs.
Read on the blog: Hot aisle cold aisle containment for mining sites →
Finance
Mining Damages: The Inputs That Move the Number
Hashrate, uptime, network difficulty, block reward, coin price, and costs all drive a mining damages figure. A small change in any one of them can move the result by a large amount.
Speaking: Disaster Recovery Conference, Rosemont IL
Building Resilient Infrastructure: Beyond the All-or-Nothing Fail-Over
Aviran presented to CIOs, VPs, and Infrastructure Managers on ransomware readiness, data center modernization, and practical disaster recovery strategies, drawing directly from his experience managing live data center infrastructure at scale.
Read on the blog: Mining electrical basics, how power problems affect ASICs →
Profiles
- Director of Operations & Infrastructure Featured: EZ Blockchain's company profile of Aviran as its Director of Operations & Infrastructure.
- The Operator’s Blog: case commentary and operations posts
Media inquiries and speaking opportunities welcome. Contact via the consultation form.
In the Field
Photos from mining sites, ASIC deliveries, and industry conferences.
Mining Sites: Real Sites, Real Work
Conferences
Aviran attends industry conferences and works directly with the major ASIC manufacturers, which keeps him current on the hardware and market conditions that come up in mining disputes.
Why This Matters to Your Case
Aviran has direct, personal experience with Bitmain (Antminer), MicroBT (WhatsMiner), and Canaan (Avalon), the three largest ASIC manufacturers in the world. When a case involves questions about ASIC hardware performance specs, manufacturer warranties, RMA processes, or deployment practices, these are part of his daily operating work.
Directory Profiles
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