- Russia launched a national crypto mining register supervised by key ministries; regional authorities receive detailed hardware owner data.
- Miners using over 6,000 kWh monthly must register and report assets; most small operators haven’t complied yet.
Russia has introduced a centralized register for crypto mining equipment under the supervision of the Ministry of Energy, the Federal Tax Service and the Ministry of Digital Development.
The register collects detailed information on hardware owners and forwards it to regional authorities. Local officials have faced rising incidents of unlicensed farms tapping into power lines, driving up costs for utilities and straining the grid.
Legal mining has been in place since mid‑2024, allowing companies and registered entrepreneurs to operate freely. Private individuals may run mining rigs without registration only if their monthly electricity use remains below 6,000 kWh.
If they exceed that threshold, they must join the register and report mined assets. To date, only a fraction of small‑scale miners has complied, and the register seeks to bring the rest into the formal system.
In parallel, the national grid operator Rosseti has partnered with telecom firms to detect unusual internet traffic that could signal hidden mining sites. Several regions suffering from energy shortages have imposed both temporary and permanent bans on mining activity. These measures aim to protect local grids and deter operators who ignore rules to maximize yield without bearing costs.
President Vladimir Putin defended the updated policy at a recent development forum, citing regional complaints about power deficits. He stressed that the government had “no choice but to act” to safeguard energy supplies. Law enforcement agencies have already dismantled a large illegal facility in Krasnoyarsk Krai that spanned 30,000 square meters and masked itself as an industrial warehouse.
The new register marks a decisive step toward aligning Russia’s crypto mining sector with national tax and energy regulations. It reflects a shift from informal operations toward a more orderly framework. Whether this approach will effectively curb electricity theft and boost tax revenues will become clear as authorities follow up with compliance checks and audits.
