Coin WorldSunday, Jul 6, 2025 7:46 pm ET

1min read

The Russian Energy Ministry has initiated the process of compiling a national registry of crypto mining rigs. This move is aimed at cracking down on illegal mining activities and ensuring that crypto firms comply with tax regulations. The ministry is collaborating with the Federal Tax Service and the Ministry of Digital Development to create a central database that will track all equipment used for cryptocurrency mining across the nation.

Deputy Minister of Energy, Petr Konyushenko, revealed that the draft document for this registry has been sent to regions with significant crypto mining activity. The registry will enable regulators and tax officials to identify individuals and entities using electricity for cryptocurrency mining, thereby ensuring compliance with mining-related laws and boosting tax revenues. Konyushenko emphasized that this step is crucial for legalizing the industry and reducing illegal energy consumption.

Despite the rise in legal crypto mining, illegal mining operations are also prevalent in Russia. Many of these illegal miners use unauthorized connections to power grids or subsidized residential power to run their data centers. The new registry will require all miners to submit details such as rig serial numbers, device models, and other mining-related equipment, ensuring transparency and accountability.

The proposal for a national crypto mining equipment registry was first made by the Energy Ministry and the Industry Ministry in February. However, the plan has faced criticism from lawmakers like Anton Gorelkin, who questioned its effectiveness in combating illegal mining. Gorelkin argued that Moscow already has the necessary tools to identify miners using electricity illegally and suggested that efforts should focus on legalizing crypto mining equipment bought through sanctions-evading schemes.

Gorelkin also proposed that the government should consider issuing an amnesty for miners who have purchased rigs through underground channels to evade sanctions. This would allow miners to legalize their equipment and add it to the registry quickly. Recent police actions, such as shutting down illegal mining farms in Sayansk and seizing rigs in St. Petersburg, highlight the ongoing efforts to curb illegal mining activities in the country.