Russia Cracks Down on Rogue Miners with New National Crypto Mining Registry

Moscow tightens the screws on underground crypto operations—because nothing says 'decentralization' like a government database.

The Kremlin's Mining Power Play

Russia just weaponized bureaucracy against illicit crypto miners. A new national registry forces all mining operations to register—or face the music. No more flying under the radar with cheap Siberian electricity.

Why This Matters

This isn’t about consumer protection—it’s about control. The same government that once flirted with banning crypto now wants to tax and monitor every watt spent on mining. Classic 'if you can’t beat ’em, regulate ’em' strategy.

The Finance Jab

Meanwhile, traditional banks are still trying to process wire transfers from 2018. But sure, crypto is the 'inefficient' technology.

Russia cracks down on illegal mining

Over the past year, Russia has tried to keep illegal operations in check via targeted inspections and court-ordered shutdowns of unauthorized mining sites.

As previously reported by crypto.news, in one of the largest cases to date, prosecutors shut down an open-air mining site in Krasnoyarsk Krai that operated on state-owned land under false documentation. The site spanned 30,000 square metres and generated roughly 4.6 million rubles ($58,000) in revenue per month.

Officials have also reported instances of utility workers accepting bribes to overlook illegal connections and hackers exploiting smart home devices to build covert mining networks.