Russia Extends Crypto Mining Ban to Moscow and Kursk Through 2032 Over Power Grid Strain
Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signs decree halting digital asset mining across key power-constrained regions until 2032.
The Russian government has extended its targeted crackdown on cryptocurrency mining to the national capital and surrounding areas, enacting a multi-year ban designed to prevent severe overloads on the country’s electrical grid.
Under Government Resolution No. 936, signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on July 25, 2026, all cryptocurrency mining operations in Moscow, the surrounding Moscow Region, and select territory in the Kursk Region will be prohibited. The restriction takes effect on Aug. 15, 2026, and is scheduled to remain active through Dec. 31, 2032, according to official regulatory filings published on Pravo.ru.
The executive decree amends a foundational regulatory framework established in December 2024, which granted federal authorities broad discretionary powers to halt digital asset extraction in energy-deficient territories. Russia’s legislative turn toward regional mining bans followed the formal legalization of industrial crypto mining earlier that year, a move intended to register commercial operators while giving grid managers the toolset to curb uncontrolled power consumption.
Grid capacity metrics provided by regional officials highlight the rationale behind the capital’s inclusion. Data from the Moscow Region’s Energy Ministry, reported by state news agency TASS, reveals that Moscow and its surrounding territory house 65 specialized data centers linked directly to the main power network. Together, these facilities pull approximately 734 megawatts (MW) of capacity, with 19 data centers in the Moscow Region alone accounting for 233 MW of that total demand.
Beyond the capital cluster, the expanded prohibition applies directly to the city of Lgov and eight municipal districts across the western Kursk Region. The region has faced severe infrastructural strain, necessitating stricter conservation measures for localized power networks.
The decision mirrors similar long-term restrictions enacted across eastern Siberia and the Far East, where cheap energy previously triggered a boom in mining infrastructure following China’s absolute ban on cryptocurrency operations in 2021. In regions such as Buryatia and Zabaykalsky Krai, industrial mining controls are already scheduled to run from April 1, 2026, until March 15, 2031.
