Russia Targets Rogue Crypto Miners With Bold National Registry to Curb Power Theft

Russia launched a digital dragnet to catch crypto miners who’ve been playing hide-and-seek with the government. The Energy Ministry rolled out a national registry of mining rigs to track down operators dodging taxes and stealing electricity. Think of it as a massive database where every legitimate mining operation needs to check in or face consequences.

The timing isn’t random. Russia faces a severe energy crisis, with harsh winters pushing the power grid to its limits. Crypto mining gobbles up electricity like a hungry teenager raids the fridge. Officials discovered that illegal miners were literally stealing power through creative methods, including hacking smart home devices and bribing utility workers. Some operations were so bold they used fake documents to set up on state land.

Since late 2024, only about 30% of miners bothered to register legally. The rest? They’re operating in the shadows, avoiding taxes and straining the electrical grid. The government responded by banning mining in ten regions until 2031, particularly areas where electricity is already scarce. The registry helps enforce these bans and lets authorities track energy consumption patterns.

Most miners stay underground while the government hunts them with regional bans and tracking tech.

The crackdown has teeth. Authorities shut down a massive illegal operation in Krasnoyarsk Krai that was generating serious illicit revenue. They’re not just going after the miners either – utility workers caught helping with power theft face prosecution. The message is clear: register or risk losing everything.

For legitimate miners who dyor and follow the rules, the registry actually provides benefits. It creates a clear legal framework for operations and taxation, removing the constant fear of sudden shutdowns. The government can now apply tailored regulations and tax schemes based on actual electricity usage data. Deputy Minister of Energy Petr Konyushenko spearheaded this initiative to bring transparency to an industry that has long operated in regulatory gray areas.

This initiative represents Russia’s attempt to balance its energy needs with the crypto economy. By forcing miners into the light, authorities hope to stabilize the power grid while collecting tax revenue that was previously slipping through the cracks. The strain on Russia’s aging Soviet-era grid infrastructure makes this balancing act even more critical as the country struggles to modernize its electrical systems.

Whether miners will fully comply or find new ways to operate underground remains to be seen. For now, the game of cat and mouse continues, just with better tracking technology.