Russia proposes higher energy tariffs for home Bitcoin miners

Cryptocurrency miners in Russia must pay for electricity at a higher tariff. The corresponding methodological guidelines were developed by the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS), пишет «Rossiyskaya Gazeta».

According to the regulator, individuals often try to earn money from low electricity tariffs by mining cryptocurrencies. This creates strain on power grids. The problem is particularly acute in Irkutsk Oblast, Krasnoyarsk Krai and Dagestan.

FAS proposes introducing a defined threshold for electricity consumption that will separate domestic needs from commercial. To this end, the antimonopoly body wants to calculate the maximum number of kilowatt-hours that a resident of an apartment or house spends with active use of household appliances.

Consumption above this norm will be charged at higher tariffs. Each region should independently set limits taking local conditions into account.

Experts believe the measure will significantly reduce the appeal of mining and other forms of home-based electricity earnings.

Earlier in April, a bill «On Mining» was submitted to the State Duma. According to the current version of the document, when electricity limits are exceeded, individual miners must register as IP or self-employed.

For ForkLog, lawyers pointed to очевидные недостатки законопроекта.

Earlier in the same month, the Ministry of Economic Development proposed setting a threshold on electricity usage for «помавших» майнеров порог по использованию электроэнергии, а фермы подключать по сниженным тарифам.

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