Russia Proposes Stricter Regulations for Crypto Miners, Including Remote Grid Disconnections

The Russian government is tightening controls on cryptocurrency mining operations, with new measures that would allow authorities to remotely disconnect mining facilities from the power grid during peak electricity demand. The Ministry of Energy has been tasked with finalizing regulations, which include heightened penalties for illegal grid connections, electricity theft, and violations of mining bans.

Miners will be classified as a lower-priority consumer category, reducing guarantees on power supply reliability. A new mechanism will redistribute freed-up capacity to socially significant consumers when mining operations are curtailed. The MOVE reflects Russia's attempt to balance energy infrastructure demands with its evolving stance on crypto—a sector it recently legalized but now seeks to regulate more aggressively.