Authorities and power utilities in various Russian regions have shut down illegal crypto mining farms, seizing hardware and taking operators to court. The action against the coin minting facilities comes amid discussions on a proposal to introduce criminal liability for miners breaking the upcoming legislation for the industry. ‘Underground’ Crypto Mining Farms Shut Down Across…
Read more
Authorities in the Russian region of Irkutsk have so far filed 1,000 lawsuits against what they call “gray” miners, or people minting coins in their homes. In over half of these cases, courts have ordered the defendants to compensate the operators of the distribution networks. Hundreds of Crypto Miners Sued in Irkutsk for Extracting Digital…
Read more
Authorities in Abkhazia are stepping up efforts to clamp down on cryptocurrency mining amid electricity shortages in the winter months. The government of the breakaway Georgian region announced it’s also taking measures to prevent imports of mining equipment. Abkhazia Creates Headquarters to Combat Illegal Crypto Mining Operations Police in Abkhazia are conducting daily raids to…
Read more
Several U.S. House of Representatives Republicans have proposed legislation that would significantly decrease funding for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The move comes after the newly elected Speaker, Kevin McCarthy, stated that he would challenge the funding granted to the U.S. tax agency in the previous year. Biden Administration Opposes Bill for Rescinding Funding for…
Read more
The Bitcoin network has a 31:1 positive to negative ratio, according to climate tech VC Daniel Batten. A climate tech investor has painted a bright view of the Bitcoin network, suggesting its environmental positives outweigh its negatives by a whopping 31:1 ratio. On Jan. 12, self-proclaimed philanthropist and environmentalist Daniel Batten claimed in a Twitter…
Read more
During the first week of the new year, Bitcoin’s hashrate reached an all-time high (ATH) on Jan. 6, 2023, at block height 770,709. The network recorded a milestone of around 361.20 exahash per second (EH/s) on Friday, jumping more than 4% higher than the previous record of 347.16 EH/s recorded on Nov. 12, 2022. Network’s…
Read more
Growing electricity consumption in the crypto mining sector may require the construction of new power generation facilities in Siberia, the energy minister of Russia has acknowledged. Demand continues to increase in residential areas as well, after regional authorities abandoned a proposal to introduce higher tariffs for Russians minting digital coins at their homes. Authorities in…
Read more
A moratorium on some crypto mining operations relying on carbon-based energy has been signed into law in New York. Businesses engaged in proof-of-work mining in the state will not be able to expand or renew their permits for the next two years as a result of the ban, which is likely to have consequences for…
Read more
The government of Moldova has decided to suspend crypto mining activities in the country as it’s facing a major energy crisis. The move is part of emergency measures to reduce power consumption with energy supplies dwindling due to the escalating conflict in neighboring Ukraine. Authorities in Moldova Prohibit Bitcoin Minting and Mining Hardware Imports to…
Read more
Authorities in Brussels are taking steps to reduce power consumption, including in cryptocurrency mining, as the EU faces limited energy supplies from Russia, the reliance on which it has been trying to lower. New energy efficiency labeling is to address the growing electricity usage in the crypto sector. EU to Develop Energy Efficiency Label for…
Read more
