Iran Enlists Its Intelligence Agency to Crack Down on Illegal Crypto Mining

The Iranian government is attempting to trace illegal crypto-mining operations to reduce the strain on the country’s electricity supply.

By Jamie Crawley

May 21, 2021 at 8:17 a.m. UTC

Updated Sep 14, 2021 at 12:59 p.m. UTC

Azadi Tower Tehran Iran — Azadi Tower, Tehran, Iran

Jamie Crawley

Iran has turned to its intelligence agency to crack down on illegal crypto miners.

The Ministry of Intelligence has been involved in setting up committees to locate and seize mining farms operating without a license, Bloomberg reported Friday, citing the state-run Iranian Students’ News Agency.
Iran has attempted to use crypto mining to boost its sanction-hit economy, a move that’s placed considerable strain on the country’s power grid. The hit has been exacerbated this year due to reduced rainfall limiting the supply of hydroelectricity.
Miners who use household electricity for their operations will face heavy fines and even have to pay for damages caused to the electricity network, the Tehran Times reported earlier this week.

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