Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Energy Halts operations of 13 Illegal Crypto Mines

The Kazakhstan Ministry of Energy has halted the operations of 13 illegal digital asset mining farms. It is reported that these mining farms used an electric capacity of over 200 megawatts.

At the beginning of 2022, the country was burdened with protests as thousands of residents flocked to the streets to fight against the rising electricity prices. Soon after the unrest, the country’s government promised to crack down on unauthorized crypto miners.

Minister Bagdat Muslin responded to the situation stating that “Gray miners are doing a lot of harm to our power grid. The energy costs of illegal mining are estimated to exceed 1 gigawatt.”

Following the shutdown of 13 illegal mining farms, authorities revealed that they would continue to identify and disconnect these facilities from the electrical grid. However, President Tokayev promised legitimate or “white” mining operations that they should not be concerned about these crackdowns.

“The government is not opposed to “white” miners, but people who want to operate in this sector must have a license, get their electricity at the appropriate tariffs, declare their income and pay taxes, and get involved in green projects,” said Tokayev

The country is currently the second-biggest bitcoin mining location as it accounts for 18.1% of the global hash rate, with the US in the first place providing over 35%

Source: CryptoPotato