Illegal miners in Chechnya equated to terrorists

Harsh punishment awaits illegal miners in Chechnya — they will be equated to terrorists for harming society through disruptions in electricity supply. This was stated by State Duma deputy and advisor to the head of the republic Adam Delimkhanov on the air of the TV channel 'Grozny'.


Adam Delimkhanov

Mining is banned

Chechnya has become one of the regions in the North Caucasus where a complete ban on cryptocurrency mining is introduced from January 1, 2025. Similar measures will affect Dagestan, Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia, and North Ossetia. The ban will be in effect until March 15, 2031.

Illegal officers

Checks revealed an unpleasant trend — many violators were associated with various government structures. 'After verification by the relevant services in the region, cases of illegal mining were identified. Moreover, it became evident that many of them are connected to people working in various structures,' Delimkhanov emphasized.

Legislative regulation

Restrictions on mining appeared after the signing by President Vladimir Putin of the law regulating the circulation of digital currency. According to the document, the government received the right to prohibit mining in certain regions and establish the procedure for introducing restrictions.

In addition to the North Caucasus, partial restrictions during peak energy consumption hours will be introduced in the Irkutsk region, Buryatia, and the Trans-Baikal Territory.

Legal path

In the summer of 2023, Russia adopted a law on the legalization of mining. Now, legal entities and individual entrepreneurs who want to engage in this activity legally must enter a special registry of the Ministry of Digital Development.

According to the Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy Anton Gorelkin, authorities see cryptocurrencies as a tool to circumvent sanctions and a possibility for high-tech exports. Meanwhile, energy companies have effective mechanisms for controlling illegal miners.

The severity of Chechen measures to combat illegal mining reflects the growing concern of the authorities with energy supply problems and the need to regulate the cryptocurrency sector. The situation demonstrates how regional authorities are willing to take extreme measures to protect energy infrastructure.