Chechen authorities say cryptocurrency miners in the region will be treated ‘as terrorists’

Cryptocurrency miners in Chechnya will be treated as terrorists, Adam Delimkhanov, a State Duma deputy and advisor to the head of the republic, said in comments reported by Grozny-Inform.

Delimkhanov said that “cases of illegal mining” have already been uncovered in Chechnya. He noted that “many involve people working in various organizations,” though he did not specify which ones.

“Our leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, has asked us to inform all residents that if such cases are uncovered — which also cause electricity issues across entire districts, villages, or cities — the perpetrators will face severe punishment. We will equate them with terrorists because their actions harm society as a whole,” Delimkhanov said.

At the end of December, the Russian government approved a list of regions and territories where cryptocurrency mining will be prohibited. The ban, which will take effect on January 1, 2025, and remain in place until March 15, 2031, applies to Dagestan, Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia, North Ossetia, and Chechnya, as well as occupied Ukrainian territories: the Donetsk and Luhansk “people’s republics,” and the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.