In early 2025, Russia’s bitcoin mining capacity topped 11 GW, but only 3 GWs of only 3 GW were allegedly used by legal miners.
Bitcoin (BTC) mining sector in Russia increased in 2024 as the number of mining forms increased by 7% to 136,600, Russian newspaper Kommersant ReportsCiting data by MTS Energytool.
By January 2025, the total mining capacity in the country crossed 11 GW. Moscow calculated about 9% of the fields, while the surrounding Moscow region was 8%. Irkutsk remained the top mining hotspots, hosting the crypto mining forms recognized over 10%, showing data.
Despite the development, legal crypto miners in Russia use only 3 GW out of the 11 GW available, the report states. While Russian officials are working to bring underground crypto mine into a legal fold, energy consumption is clearly a major issue, many still operate books.
Russia has seen an increase in mining activity due to the cost of electricity in some areas. Irkutsk, in particular, attracts miners with its inexpensive hydroelectric power. However, regulators continue to reduce illegal mining works that stress the local grid.
In early August 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin officially signed new laws to legalize bitcoin and digital asset mining. Under the new rules, citizens can mines bitcoin as long as they live within the government’s power cap, although Bank of Russia still has the power to ban specific assets if they pose a risk to financial stability We do.
As Crypto.news reported earlier, Russian power grid operator Rostyt lost more than 1.3 billion rubles due to illegal crypto mining in 2024, miners exploited power through unauthorized connections. The biggest disadvantage hit the northern Caucasus, where the Rosety Sevori Kavils reported a loss of more than 600 million rubles. In Novosibirsk, the damage reached 400 million rubles, while the Rosty Center and Prevolzhai saw about 120 million rubles drought.
