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Bitcoin Miner SAI.TECH Halts Kazakhstan Expansion, Citing Operation and Cost Uncertainties

The Nasdaq-listed company has scrapped plans for a second phase of power-supply cooperation in the central Asian country.

By Oliver Knight
AccessTimeIconAug 3, 2022 at 1:07 p.m. UTC
Updated May 11, 2023 at 5:44 p.m. UTC
Bitcoin-mining rigs (Image credit: Eliza Gkritsi/CoinDesk)
Bitcoin-mining rigs (Image credit: Eliza Gkritsi/CoinDesk)
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Singapore-based bitcoin miner SAI.TECH (SAI) has terminated the remainder of its plans to expand into Kazakhstan, according to an SEC filing.

  • The scrapped plans involved a second phase of 90MW power supply cooperation in Kazakhstan, which was a part of a 2021 agreement with Better Tech Limited.
  • In May, SAI.TECH noted concern from power partners and hosting customers regarding operation stability and cost uncertainties in relation to doing business in Kazakhstan. Operations had already been delayed due to the national riots in Kazakhstan that started in January 2022.
  • A slew of companies moved mining operations to Kazakhstan following China's decision to ban crypto mining last year, which prompted the landlocked nation in central Asia to clamp down on illegal crypto mines and increase taxes on the industry.
  • The Kazakh government also ordered all crypto miners to register with authorities as the country faced electricity shortages.
  • While SAI.TECH's second phase of 90MW power supply has been halted, it will continue to execute the first phase, which began in August 2021 and has 15MW of capacity.
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    Oliver Knight
    Oliver Knight

    Oliver Knight is a CoinDesk reporter based between London and Lisbon. He does not own any crypto.

    Follow @OKnightCrypto on Twitter

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