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Several Crypto Mining Operations Busted in Russia
19.3.2023
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...
South African Rand Plunges to New 2023 Low Versus the US Dollar
12.3.2023
Just a few weeks after tapping its best exchange rate versus the greenback in 2023, the South African rand fell to a new 2023 low of 18.636 local currency units for every dollar on March 7. South Africa’s power shortages as well as the country’s recent grey-listing by the Financial...
Biden Budget Proposal Targets Crypto Investors Using Like-Kind Exchange Provision; Plan Aims to Tax Crypto Miners 30%
10.3.2023
On Thursday, the Biden administration released the U.S. president’s 182-page budget proposal for the fiscal year 2024, which aims to “grow the economy from the bottom up and middle out.” The budget includes an $835 billion increase in military spending, but the administration...
Crypto Mining Firms Targeted: U.S. Treasury Proposes 30% Tax on Electricity Costs
10.3.2023
Crypto mining firms based in the United States could be subject to a 30% tax on electricity costs under a new budget proposal aimed at reducing mining activity.
According to a March 9 supplementary budget explainer paper by the Department of the Treasury, any firm using owned or rented mining rigs...
Biden budget proposes 30% tax on crypto mining electricity usage
9.3.2023
The tax would be phased-in at 10% per year over three years and covers electricity generated from both on and off-grid sources
Terawulf Energizes First Nuclear-Powered Bitcoin Mining Facility in the US, Plans to Expand Operations
6.3.2023
Terawulf, a bitcoin mining operation, has announced that it has energized the first nuclear-powered bitcoin mining facility in the United States at the company’s Nautilus Facility in Pennsylvania. According to the company, approximately 1 exahash per second (EH/s) or close to 8,000...
7 modern technology examples that don’t need electricity
27.2.2023
Modern technologies that don’t rely on electricity include solar calculators, mechanical watches, bicycle-powered generators and more
Former Cohasset High School Employee Accused of Stealing Thousands in Electricity to Mine Bitcoin in School Campus Crawlspace
23.2.2023
A former school assistant facilities director in Cohasset, Massachusetts, has been accused of operating a cryptocurrency mining operation inside a crawlspace at Cohasset High School. The Cohasset Police Department alleges that Nadeam Nahas stole nearly $18,000 in electricity to power the crypto...
Report: South African Startup Momint Seeks to Boost Electricity Generation Using Blockchain-Based Solution
21.2.2023
Using a solution that is based on blockchain technology, the South African startup Momint has said the recently launched Suncash initiative aims to ease the country’s power generation challenges. For about $9, investors can reportedly buy non-fungible tokens (NFTs) linked to solar cells which...
At Least 1,000 Lawsuits Filed Against Crypto Miners in Russia’s Irkutsk Region
14.2.2023
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...
Daily Raids on Crypto Farms as Abkhazia Intensifies Mining Crackdown
12.2.2023
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...
Kazakhstan Law Limiting Crypto Miners’ Consumption of Electricity Enters Into Force
11.2.2023
A new law expanding the regulatory framework for cryptocurrency miners while restricting their access to low-cost electricity has entered into force in Kazakhstan. The legislation introduces a licensing regime for mining with two different categories of licenses that companies will have to renew...
Abkhazia Police Seize 396 Crypto Mining Rigs in 48 Hours as Electricity Woes Continue
9.2.2023
Police in Abkhazia have confiscated 396 crypto mining rigs in the space of just 48 hours – as the de facto state continues its battle against illegal miners. The government has blamed illegal miners for crippling power shortages and rolling blackouts that have left thousands without electricity....
Electricity- and Network-free Digital Yuan Payments Taking off in China – Report
8.2.2023
Electricity-free digital yuan payment adoption is reportedly on the rise in China – where smartphone users can spend their coins without a network connection.
Earlier this year, the central People’s Bank of China (PBoC)’s updated the official digital yuan app. The update allows users to...
South African Retailer Pick n Pay Now Accepting Payments via BTC at All Its Stores
3.2.2023
Pick n Pay, one of South Africa’s leading retailers, reportedly now accepts bitcoin as payment at all its stores across the country. Using the bitcoin lightning network, Pick n Pay’s customers can now buy items such as groceries, airtime and electricity tokens. Using BTC for Everyday...
Ban on Crypto Mining in Residential Areas Proposed in Russia
28.1.2023
Advisors to the Kremlin have suggested that home crypto mining should be banned in Russia, or in some of its regions. The stated motive for the proposal is to prevent fires in residential buildings. Amateur miners have been blamed for high loads on the grid causing breakdowns and blackouts. Energy...
Crypto Miners in Kazakhstan Start Paying Higher Electricity Fees
7.1.2023
Since the beginning of 2023, cryptocurrency miners operating in Kazakhstan are obliged to pay new fees for the power they need to mint digital coins. A surcharge introduced in 2021 now depends on the price of electricity consumed by bitcoin farms and can be much higher than the original levy....
Amid High Energy Demand From Miners, Russia Mulls Building New Power Plants in Siberia
1.1.2023
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...
Challenging Year for Bitcoin Miners as Fewer BTC Mining Rigs Are Profitable at Current Prices
31.12.2022
Bitcoin miners have had a challenging year as the network’s mining difficulty reached an all-time high and the spot market price of bitcoin dropped below the cost of production. Currently, with electricity costs at $0.07 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), only 18 application-specific integrated...
Russia Cracking Down on Crypto Miners Minting in Residential Areas
14.12.2022
Russian authorities are now prosecuting miners extracting cryptocurrency using subsidized electricity for the population, according to a top official from the energy ministry. Power utilities are detecting their increased consumption and trying to make them pay at commercial rates. Amateur Crypto...