On December 24, 2024, the Russian government announced a comprehensive ban on cryptocurrency mining in 10 regions, effective January 1, 2025, lasting until March 15, 2031. This decision follows the signing of new cryptocurrency mining laws aimed at preventing energy blackouts.
The banned regions include Dagestan, Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia, North Ossetia, Chechnya, and the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, as well as the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. These restrictions will impact both individual miners and mining pools.
Additionally, seasonal restrictions will be enforced in three Siberian regions—Irkutsk, Buryatia, and Zabaikalsky—during peak winter energy consumption, initially from January 1 to March 15, 2025, and extending to November 15 to March 15 in subsequent years.
This regulatory shift represents a moderation from earlier proposals that aimed to ban mining in 13 regions, including the vital mining area of Irkutsk, which is essential for major firms like BitRiver, known for its low electricity costs.