Russia will extend its regional cryptocurrency mining restrictions to Moscow, Moscow Region, and nine designated territories within Kursk Region from August 15, 2026. According to reports from PANews citing Bits media, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed Government Resolution No. 936 on July 25, 2026, which was published on the official Russian legal information portal on July 31, 2026. The prohibition will remain in force through December 31, 2032, covering both direct cryptocurrency mining and participation in mining pools across the restricted areas. The government had initially planned to impose the restrictions on July 1, 2026, but authorities postponed the implementation to August 15, 2026. The final measure differs from a draft released by the Energy Ministry in June 2026, which proposed introducing the restrictions from July 1. As per ME News, the updated regulations were signed on August 1, 2026, amending an earlier mining restriction order issued in December 2024.
The Energy Ministry's explanatory material warned that operating without year-round restrictions could create risks of a shortage of power capacity as energy-intensive mining facilities connect to regional grids. As reported by Interfax, Moscow Region energy authorities had requested the ban before the government adopted it. Regional officials estimated that mining consumes about one gigawatt within the Moscow power system, while data-centre capacity in Moscow and the surrounding region could reach 3.6 gigawatts by 2032, equal to 17% of the system's maximum load. Among other regulatory concerns, authorities cite money laundering risks, pressure on financial stability, and environmental impact as key factors for restricting mining operations. According to Russia's Ministry of Energy, connecting large cryptocurrency mining facilities to the regional power grid risks creating electricity shortages as demand continues to rise, with authorities saying restricting mining is necessary to preserve generating capacity for households, businesses, and other consumers.
The decree prohibits digital currency mining and participation in mining pools across Moscow and the entire Moscow Region. In Kursk, it applies to the Belovsky, Bolshesoldatsky, Glushkovsky, Korenovsky, Lgovsky, Rylsky, Sudzhansky and Khomutovsky municipal districts, plus the city of Lgov. According to PANews citing Bits media, the restrictions cover eight municipal districts of Kursk Oblast and the city of Lgov, and apply to local residents participating in activities such as mining pools. The measure expands a regional list rather than creating a nationwide mining ban, adding Moscow, Moscow Region and the designated Kursk territories as entries 14 through 16 in the existing restriction order. Several of the affected Kursk districts are close to the border with Ukraine, where electricity infrastructure and local demand patterns have been disrupted by continuing hostilities. Similar restrictions are already in place across 13 energy-deficient regions, including Irkutsk Region, Buryatia, and Zabaykalsky Krai. Russian state media reported that 65 data centres with a combined capacity of 734 megawatts operate across Moscow and the surrounding region, including 19 facilities in the Moscow Region totaling 233 megawatts.
The restrictions carry significant implications for the global Bitcoin network, as Russia maintains 17.2% of the world's Bitcoin hash rate as of Q3 2026, according to Hashrate Index, making it second only to the United States. Russian business daily Kommersant previously estimated Russia's share at around 15.5%, while the Association of Industrial Mining put it at 13%-17%. The latest restrictions could speed the relocation of mining operations to the United States, Kazakhstan and other parts of Central Asia, with a reduction in Russian mining capacity potentially leading to a temporary decrease in Bitcoin mining difficulty. This would make mining more profitable for operators elsewhere until the network adjusts to the reduced hashrate.
The new order extends a policy that followed Russia's legalization of cryptocurrency mining in November 2024. In December 2024, the government announced a ban on crypto mining and participation in mining pools across 10 regions, including Dagestan, Chechnya, Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia, North Ossetia, and the Russian-controlled territories of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson. The restrictions took effect on January 1, 2025, mainly to reduce pressure on regional power grids. The government also imposed year-round restrictions across parts of Buryatia and Zabaykalsky Krai from April 1, 2026, covering 20 areas of Buryatia and 31 areas of Zabaykalsky Krai. A Russian power-industry commission supported the Moscow and Kursk proposal in May 2026, moving the plan toward Cabinet approval while lawmakers considered separate penalties for unregistered mining. The Federal Tax Service of Russia is responsible for administering obligations of businesses operating under the current rules.
