Russia will bar cryptocurrency mining and participation in mining pools in Moscow, the entire Moscow Region, and nine designated territories in Kursk Region starting Aug. 15, 2026. The measure is set out in Government Resolution No. 936 and will stay in force through Dec. 31, 2032.
The order was signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on July 25 and published on Russia’s official legal information portal on July 31. It updates Resolution No. 1869, the framework introduced in December 2024 that established territorial restrictions on mining in selected regions rather than imposing a nationwide ban.
What the new decree covers
The new restrictions apply across Moscow and the whole Moscow Region. In Kursk Region, they cover the Belovsky, Bolshesoldatsky, Glushkovsky, Korenevsky, Lgovsky, Rylsky, Sudzhansky and Khomutovsky municipal districts, as well as the city of Lgov.
Resolution No. 936 prohibits both direct digital currency mining and participation in mining pools in those locations. The measure expands the list of restricted territories under the existing order, adding Moscow, Moscow Region and the designated Kursk territories as entries 14 through 16 rather than creating a countrywide prohibition.
Why officials expanded the ban
Russian officials linked the expansion to pressure on electricity infrastructure. In explanatory material, the Energy Ministry said that allowing mining to continue without a year-round restriction could create risks of a shortage of power capacity as energy-intensive facilities connect to regional grids.
Authorities in the Moscow Region had asked for the ban before it was adopted. Regional energy officials estimated that mining already accounts for about one gigawatt within the Moscow power system. Interfax also reported official figures projecting that data-center capacity in Moscow and the surrounding region could reach 3.6 gigawatts by 2032, equal to 17% of the system’s maximum load. That 2032 number is a projection, not a measure of current demand.
In Kursk Region, local officials sought limits in eight districts and the city of Lgov over concerns about strain on electricity infrastructure. The final decree matches the locations included in the earlier government proposal.
Part of a broader regional policy
The latest order builds on a policy Russia developed after legalizing cryptocurrency mining in 2024. Since then, authorities have introduced regional limits aimed at managing electricity shortages and seasonal peaks in demand.
Existing restrictions already apply to several North Caucasus republics and other territories through March 15, 2031. The government also brought in year-round restrictions across parts of Buryatia and Zabaykalsky Krai from April 1, 2026. According to the Energy Ministry, those measures cover 20 areas in Buryatia and 31 areas in Zabaykalsky Krai.
Deadline for miners and what comes next
Mining operators in the newly restricted areas must stop local activity by Aug. 15 or relocate their equipment. The deadline comes 15 days after the resolution’s publication on July 31.
The decree does not give an official estimate of how much mining capacity will be affected or how much hardware may need to move. As written, the ban is due to remain in place until after Dec. 31, 2032, unless the government changes the order before then.
Source: crypto.news