Russia Bans Crypto Mining in Moscow Region Until 2032

The Russian government has introduced a ban on cryptocurrency mining in Moscow and its surrounding regions until 2032. This move aims to mitigate the strain that mining puts on power grids, which is considered energy-intensive.

The restrictions apply to independent cryptocurrency mining and participation in mining pools, with the new regime set to remain in effect until December 31, 2032. The ban was introduced due to concerns about insufficient available energy capacity caused by the connection of large mining facilities.

Sergey Voropanov, the head of the Ministry of Energy of the Moscow region, estimated that mining's power consumption in the Moscow energy system is around 1 GW. He also noted that the capacity of data centers in Moscow and its surrounding regions could reach 3.6 GW by 2032, which accounts for about 17% of the maximum load on the region's power system.