Bitcoin Mining: Russia Bans Activity in Moscow Until 2032

Six years, not one less. Russia's restriction on cryptocurrency mining in regions affected by electricity shortages is nothing new, as several territories were already subject to such measures. What changes with resolution 936, signed on July 25 by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, is that now Moscow itself, the capital, joins the list, alongside its region and parts of the Kursk region, from August 15, 2026, to December 31, 2032. A country that had long presented itself as an energy refuge for Bitcoin miners is thus closing the door right in the heart of its own territory.

Key Points

• New development: after several already restricted regions, it is now Moscow itself that bans mining, along with its region and part of Kursk, from August 15, 2026, to December 31, 2032.
• The measure targets 65 data centers already representing 734 megawatts, with a projected capacity of 3.6 gigawatts by 2032.
• The country would still account for 17.2% of the global Bitcoin hashrate, just behind the United States.

A turnaround for the former Russian mining paradise

Russia legalized mining at the end of 2024, and the sector exploded in the wake. The country had long cherished the ambition of becoming a global heavyweight in mining, driven by cheap energy and a climate conducive to cooling machines. The story is now taking a completely different turn.

The Ministry of Energy had initially proposed an effective date of July 1. TASS reports that the text finally signed by the government has pushed the date to August 15, without changing the substance: the increasing tensions on the electrical grid, exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, remain the official justification. At least 65 data centers in the Moscow region already represent 734 megawatts of cumulative capacity, a figure that authorities project to 3.6 gigawatts by 2032 if nothing is done. It is safe to say that the trajectory was worrying Moscow well before this announcement.

The affected areas in Kursk include several municipal districts bordering Ukraine, where the electricity supply remains particularly fragile. A bill under discussion in the Duma goes even further: it plans to criminalize unregistered mining, with fines of up to 2.5 million rubles and prison sentences of up to five years.

Energy as the arbiter of mining worldwide

This shift is not isolated. China closed the door on mining in 2021 for similar energy management reasons, before seeing part of the activity migrate to the United States and, specifically, to Russia. The country then welcomed a significant share of this fleeing hashrate, establishing itself among the world's top producers.

The reverse movement is now observed elsewhere: in the United States, several listed miners are abandoning pure mining to pivot towards computing dedicated to artificial intelligence, deemed more profitable in a context of declining mining difficulty. The logic remains the same everywhere: available electricity goes to the highest bidder, and Bitcoin mining is no longer systematically that highest bidder.

A decision that weighs on the global hashrate map

The Moscow ban will not make Russian mining disappear overnight. It will simply push it further into the remote regions of Siberia, where energy remains abundant and oversight less pressing, prolonging a trend already observed for several years.

That said, the symbolism matters. A country that has made mining an argument for energy sovereignty and circumventing Western sanctions is closing the door in its own capital. Russia still accounts for 17.2% of the global Bitcoin hashrate in the third quarter of 2026, just behind the United States. The global map of hashrate distribution continues to be reshaped as each jurisdiction adjusts its energy policy to the realities on the ground rather than the ambitions expressed a few years earlier.

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