Russia Bans BTC Mining Across Moscow Region Through End of 2032

Russia's government bans crypto mining in Moscow, Moscow Oblast, and parts of Kursk Oblast from Aug. 15 through end-2032 over grid strain and power shortage concerns.

Bitcoin Mining News

Russia's government signed a decree on July 25 banning Bitcoin (BTC) mining and participation in mining pools across Moscow, all of Moscow Oblast, eight municipal districts of Kursk Oblast, and the city of Lgov. The decree, Government Decree No. 936, was published on Russia's official legal information portal on Aug. 1 and takes effect Aug. 15. It runs through the end of 2032.

The ban formalizes a

the country's Energy Ministry put forward in late June. That proposal included an explanatory note warning that mining activity in the affected regions risked producing electricity shortages if left unrestricted year-round. Moscow Oblast energy minister Sergei Voropanov had previously estimated that crypto mining accounts for roughly one gigawatt (GW) of power consumption on the city's grid, per

.

Grid Capacity Concerns Drive the Ban

Voropanov also projected that the combined data center capacity of Moscow and Moscow Oblast could reach 3.6 GW by 2032. That would equal approximately 17% of the grid's projected maximum load. The 3.6 GW figure covers all data center usage, not only crypto mining. Russia began applying targeted regional mining restrictions in late 2024. Those initial bans covered energy-constrained areas, including parts of Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory. Some of those restrictions remain in effect through 2031, while others activate only during high-demand periods.