Russia’s energy ministry has launched a national registry of crypto mining rigs to weed out miners that dodge tax payments and illegal setups that steal power from the grid.
State-run newspaper RIA Novosti said in a report on Friday that the Russian Ministry of Energy, the Federal Tax Service and the Ministry of Digital Development of Russia have “compiled a register” and sent it to “regions with increased miner activity.”
In June, Russian Finance Ministry official Ivan Chebeskov said that despite introducing crypto mining laws, only 30% of miners had entered the Federal Tax Service Register since late 2024. He also said the ministry was working on measures to bring the remaining 70% into the legal fold.
Russia hopes to tax and regulate crypto mining
Deputy Energy Minister Petr Konyushenko said in an interview with RIA Novosti, translated to English by Google, that this is a step toward “legalizing the industry and reducing illegal consumption.”
“The creation of such a register will allow for the precise identification of consumers using electricity for mining needs. This is necessary for applying special regulation and taxation to them.”
Russia’s Energy Ministry first flagged plans to create a national registry of crypto mining rigs and other related hardware in February to help enforce bans on mining in regions where it is prohibited, according to RIA Novosti.
Some Russian regions ban crypto mining
The Russian government began enforcing a crypto mining-related bill in November, introducing legal definitions and registration requirements for mining businesses.
