Russia Proposes Fines for Mining in Data Centers

Russian lawmakers have proposed introducing fines for cryptocurrency mining in data centers listed in the Ministry of Digital Development registry. The initiative is being discussed in 2026 and aims to enforce an existing ban that currently lacks penalties.

The committee proposed introducing liability for mining in data centers

The State Duma Energy Committee proposed amendments to introduce fines for mining in registered data centers. These changes are part of a broader bill establishing administrative liability for violations in crypto mining.

Since March 1, mining has been prohibited in registered data centers. The restriction applies both to mining operations and to hosting mining equipment.

However, no penalties have been defined so far. The new amendments are intended to close this regulatory gap.

The lack of enforcement required new amendments

The registry of data centers is maintained by the Ministry of Digital Development. Inclusion is voluntary but comes with strict requirements.

Eligible operators include:

• Russian citizens without dual citizenship;
• Russian legal entities not listed as miners.

Authorities aim to limit the use of data center infrastructure for mining and strengthen regulatory oversight. This is driven by rising energy consumption and the need to control the crypto mining sector.

Equipment confiscation is предусмотрена for violating the ban

The bill proposes introducing a new Article 15.50 into the Administrative Code. If adopted, enforcement measures will become significantly stricter.

Proposed penalties for companies include:

• fines from 100,000 to 2 million rubles;
• equipment confiscation or suspension of operations for up to 90 days;
• repeat violations may result in fines of 5–10 million rubles.

Additionally, providing capacity to unregistered miners may lead to fines of up to 500,000 rubles.

Mining regulation in Russia is becoming stricter

The crypto mining industry in Russia is moving toward stricter regulation. The introduction of fines increases pressure on operators using data center infrastructure.

Companies will need to comply more strictly with legal requirements. This could reduce shadow mining and improve market transparency.

At the same time, tighter regulation may limit the use of data centers for mining. This could lead to a redistribution of capacity and reshape the industry structure.

Read also: Russia considers allowing mining for energy firms