Samara Authorities Seize 371 Bitcoin Miners from Local Enterprise

Police in Samara have shut down an illegal cryptocurrency mining operation located on the premises of a local enterprise, according to a report by the regional Ministry of Internal Affairs on their official page.

Investigators revealed that the enterprise’s director, along with unidentified accomplices, purchased cryptocurrency mining equipment and installed it in rented premises on Novo-Sadovaya Street, illicitly connecting it to the power grid.

The total amount of stolen electricity exceeded 319,000 kWh, resulting in damages of over 2 million rubles. The accused has voluntarily compensated the full amount.

During the raids, law enforcement confiscated 371 ASIC miners, two modified meters designed to underreport electricity consumption, remote controls, and three routers.

The enterprise director faces charges of conspiracy to cause property damage. The case has been forwarded to the Industrial District Court.

According to Izvestia, differentiated electricity consumption tariffs will be introduced in Russia starting in 2025. This control system will enable the Ministry of Energy to prevent exceeding the maximum levels of cross-subsidization in regions.

Now, threshold consumption values regulate each tariff individually. The first level will be capped at 3900 kWh per month. The second will range from 3900 to 6000 kWh per month, with anything above falling into the third tier.

Experts believe the new measure will not effectively combat “grey” mining in apartments, as their energy consumption falls within the first tier.

Earlier, the Russian government approved requirements for miners and infrastructure operators involved in digital asset extraction.

The monthly energy consumption limit for individual miners without business registration is set at 6000 kWh. Exceeding this limit necessitates registration as a business entity for inclusion in the registry.

On November 1, Russia implemented a provision for creating a miners’ registry. The basic regulation of cryptocurrency mining in the country was adopted in July. ForkLog examined its impact on the industry in a separate article.

Additional amendments outline the government’s authority to restrict mining in certain areas. The Ministry of Energy has already identified regions where future cryptocurrency mining bans will be enforced.