Russia has banned cryptocurrency mining across Moscow and surrounding regions through the end of 2032, according to Government Decree No. 936 signed July 25 and published July 31. The ban takes effect August 15 and covers Moscow, Moscow Oblast, and eight districts of Kursk Oblast.
The decree prohibits all forms of cryptocurrency mining activity in the affected areas for nearly six and a half years. Russia has moved to restrict mining operations in major population centers amid concerns about power consumption and grid stability. Moscow's ban is the largest geographic restriction of mining in the country to date.
The affected regions include some of Russia's most densely populated areas. Moscow city proper and its surrounding oblast contain roughly 20 million residents. Kursk Oblast borders Ukraine and has been a site of significant Russian military operations. The eight Kursk districts specified in the decree have not been individually named in public statements.
Russia has previously imposed localized mining restrictions. In 2022, authorities began requiring licenses for large-scale mining operations and introduced regional power-use limits. The new decree represents an outright prohibition rather than a licensing framework, marking a shift toward exclusion rather than regulation.
The country remains one of the world's largest mining destinations by hash rate, though its share has declined since 2021. Mining operations have historically clustered in Siberia and the Far East, where hydroelectric power is abundant and cooling costs are lower. The Moscow ban does not affect those regions.
Enforcement mechanisms for the ban have not been publicly detailed. Russian law enforcement has in past years conducted raids on unlicensed mining facilities, though the scale and consistency of enforcement has varied.
The six-year-plus duration of the ban extends through multiple Russian presidential and parliamentary election cycles. The decree does not specify conditions under which the ban might be lifted before its December 31, 2032 expiration date. Cointelegraph and other outlets have reported the ban as part of a broader Russian regulatory tightening, though the decree itself does not reference national policy changes.
