Illegal Bitcoin Mining Operation Discontinued in Irkutsk Region
In the remote town of Shelekhov, situated in Irvkutsk Region, authorities stumbled upon an unauthorized mining farm chock-full of 250 mining devices. This revelation was made by the town's prosecutor's office.
This clandestine equipment was squatting in a non-residential building and was property of an undocumented private individual who wasn't registered as a cryptocurrency miner.
Notably, Shelekhov is listed among the territories where crypto mining is prohibited during the harsh winter months from January 1, 2025, to March 15, 2031. This proscription is put in place to prevent additional strain on local power grids already reeling from the middle-of-nowhere chill and residential heating demands.
The unreported electricity drain summed up to a staggering 1 MW. The authorities moved swiftly to bust the operation and confiscate the machinery.
An investigation is currently underway to unravel the property damage allegedly caused by fraud or breach of trust. Historically, these rogue miners have been a thorn in Russia's side, causing annual financial losses amounting to roughly 10 billion rubles. In the year 2024, this figure skyrocketed to a staggering 1.3 billion rubles.
To curb these losses and regulate the mining scene, Russia ** legislaated new rules on September 1, 20XX. These regulations included electricity consumption limits for individual miners**.
Now, with illegal mining operations running rampant and sucking up power like a vacuum cleaner on crack, authorities are stepping up their game. It's about time these guys get caught—or the power grid collapses.
The undocumented private individual who owned the unauthorized bitcoin mining farm in Shelekhov, Irvkutsk Region, was not registered as a cryptocurrency miner, using technology that illegally drained up to 1 MW of electricity during the period when crypto mining is prohibited. The general-news headlines now feature the crime-and-justice aspect of this case, as an investigation is underway to uncover property damage allegedly caused by fraud or breach of trust, with potential annual financial losses reaching 10 billion rubles for Russia. In response, Russia legislated new rules on September 1, 20XX to regulate the mining scene and impose electricity consumption limits for individual miners.
