Igor Runets, the founder and chief executive of BitRiver, has been placed under house arrest in Moscow on multiple charges of tax evasion, as Russia’s largest Bitcoin mining company enters a deep financial and legal crisis.
The legal action against Runets coincides with the start of formal bankruptcy monitoring proceedings against BitRiver’s holding structure, marking a sharp downfall for a firm that once dominated Russia’s industrial mining sector.
Arrest and Charges Against Igor Runets
Runets was detained on January 30 and formally charged on January 31 with three counts of concealing assets to evade the payment of taxes, fees, and mandatory insurance contributions.
The Zamoskvoretsky District Court ordered Runets to remain under house arrest until at least February 4, pending the outcome of any legal appeals.
Runets, a Stanford MBA graduate, was estimated to have a net worth of $230 million as of late 2024, assets that now face potential confiscation should he be convicted on the charges.
Bankruptcy Proceedings and Corporate Collapse
As criminal proceedings unfold against its founder, BitRiver’s corporate structure is unraveling under mounting debt and legal disputes.
On January 27, the Sverdlovsk Regional Arbitration Court initiated formal bankruptcy “observation” (supervision) proceedings against Fox Group, the holding company that controls 98% of BitRiver’s management arm.
The bankruptcy petition was filed by Infrastructure of Siberia, an affiliate of the En+ Group, which is seeking more than $9.2 million (approximately 700 million rubles) in unpaid obligations.
Equipment Fraud Allegations and Operational Shutdowns
The debt at the center of the bankruptcy case stems from an advance payment for mining equipment that BitRiver allegedly failed to deliver, according to the filing.
Operationally, the company has suffered widespread disruption. By early 2026, approximately 80% of BitRiver’s executives had resigned, multiple mining facilities across Siberia and Buryatia had been shut down, and major commercial partnerships, including one with Gazprom Neft, had been terminated.
From Market Leader to Crisis
BitRiver was previously one of the most powerful players in Russia’s mining industry, operating 15 data centers with a combined capacity of 533 megawatts and controlling more than half of the country’s industrial Bitcoin mining market.
The company’s decline accelerated after it was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in 2022, triggering a rapid loss of international clients and partners, including Japan’s SBI Holdings.
Outlook
The combination of criminal charges against its founder and active bankruptcy supervision against its holding company places BitRiver’s future in serious doubt. Once a cornerstone of Russia’s industrial mining infrastructure, the firm now faces legal, financial, and operational pressures that threaten its continued existence.
