According to data from MTS EnergyTool, the Bitcoin mining sector in Russia experienced growth in 2024 with the number of mining farms increasing by 7% to 136,600. By January 2025, the total mining capacity in the country reached 11 GW. However, only around 3 GW of this capacity was reportedly being utilized by legal miners, indicating that there are still many illegal mining operations in the country. The city of Irkutsk remained a top mining hotspot due to its cheap hydroelectric power, but regulators are cracking down on illegal mining operations that strain local grids. In August 2024, Russia officially legalized Bitcoin and digital asset mining, with certain restrictions in place. Illegal crypto mining has caused significant losses for Russian power grid operator Rosseti, with damages exceeding 1.3 billion rubles in 2024.



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