Kazakhstan Extends Power Cuts for Cryptocurrency Miners

Crypto farms in Kazakhstan will remain unplugged until Feb. 7, as the local utility has extended power cuts for miners. The company points to ongoing difficulties with electricity supply as the main reason for the measure, which was supposed to expire at the end of January. Mining Facilities in Kazakhstan Still Shut Down Data centers … Read more

US Lawmakers Press Bitcoin Mining Firms on Energy Usage, Carbon Emissions, Climate Crisis

Eight U.S. lawmakers, including Senator Elizabeth Warren, have sent letters to top U.S.-based bitcoin mining firms questioning them about their crypto mining operations. “The extraordinarily high energy usage and carbon emissions associated with bitcoin mining could undermine our hard work to tackle the climate crisis — not to mention the harmful impacts cryptomining has on … Read more

Putin Urges Government, Central Bank to Reach Consensus on Crypto, Highlights Russia’s Mining Potential

President Vladimir Putin has joined the debate on the future of cryptocurrencies in Russia, calling on the government and central bank to work out a common position on their regulation. The Russian leader also emphasized Russia’s strengths as a crypto mining destination. Putin Asks Ministers and Bankers to Report Back With Consensus on Cryptocurrencies Russian … Read more

Utility Seeks $800,000 From Russians Mining Crypto With Cheap Power

The main utility company in Irkutsk is looking to collect almost $800,000 from owners of crypto farms that have allegedly caused a spike in electricity consumption in the Russian region. The supplier accuses the miners of burning cheap household electricity in what is, in fact, a business activity. Power Utility Takes Crypto Miners to Court … Read more

Decommissioned Power Plant in Armenia to Host Crypto Mining Farms

Armenia is going to invite cryptocurrency miners to install their coin minting hardware in an old thermal power plant. The TPP will be decommissioned and the government intends to rent it out to industrial companies including mining enterprises. Miners Welcome to Set Up Data Centers at Old TPP in Armenia The equipment at the Hrazdan … Read more

Russia May Allow Crypto Mining and Gold-Backed Stablecoins, Lawmaker Says

Russia can legalize cryptocurrency mining and stablecoins backed by gold under government control, a high-ranking member of the Russian parliament has suggested. The statement comes after Bank of Russia proposed a wide-ranging ban on the use of cryptocurrencies, and their trading and mining. Mining and Some Stablecoins Can Be Legalized in Russia, Duma Deputy Insists … Read more

Regulator Reiterates Call for EU Ban on Proof-of-Work Mining

The EU should prohibit proof-of-work crypto mining, an executive at the European securities watchdog has insisted. Coins relying on the energy-intensive method of minting pose a risk to efforts aimed at meeting climate change goals such as those set in the Paris Agreement, the regulator says. Bitcoin Mining Now Attacked in EU for Burning Too … Read more

Crypto Miner Convicted in Russia for Allegedly Stealing Power to Mint Digital Coins

A regional court has sentenced a man accused of illegally connecting his crypto farm to the grid to two years in prison. The decision comes as authorities in Moscow prepare to address the lack of proper regulations for cryptocurrency mining, which has become a popular source of income in Russia. Illegal Crypto Farm Burns 1.3 … Read more

Georgia Goes After Crypto Miners Using Subsidized Electricity in Historic Town

A record high consumption of electricity blamed on illegal crypto farms in northwestern Georgia has caught the attention of authorities in the capital Tbilisi. The central government and the local utility are taking on the issue of dealing with power shortages in the mountainous region of Svaneti. With Tourism Hit by Pandemic, People in Georgia … Read more