Irkutsk region requests complete ban on crypto mining in southern area - newspaper

IRKUTSK. March 31 (Interfax) - Irkutsk region Governor Igor Kobzev has sent a letter to President Vladimir Putin proposing a year-round ban on cryptocurrency mining in the energy-deficient southern part of the Irkutsk region, the Kommersant newspaper reported on Monday.

The Irkutsk governor's press service confirmed to Interfax that such a letter exists but refrained from further comment.

The ban on mining could be introduced from April 1 for both legal entities and individuals, Kommersant said. Kobzev proposes maintaining these restrictions until March 15, 2031. He also suggested developing a mechanism for the compensated "withdrawal of capacity from disconnected consumers with mining loads to implement socially and economically significant tasks for the region."

Kommersant also reports that large mining centers in the southern Irkutsk region consume up to 650 MW. If banned, they would face a "deadlocked situation due to difficulties connecting to grids in other regions."

As previously reported, in late 2024 Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed a decree banning mining in several regions, including the southern Irkutsk region, as well as parts of Trans-Baikal Territory and Buryatia.

The ban took effect on January 1, 2025 and lasted until March 15, 2025. Subsequently, mining will be prohibited annually between November 15 and March 15 until 2031.