Russia’s Abkhazia province imposes temporary ban on crypto mining operations, expected to be lifted on June 1, 2021

On December 31, Russia’s Abkhazia province has announced a temporary ban on crypto mining operations. The move was due to a mine in Abkhazia province that burned down due to overheating of a substation, causing power outages in many parts of the country.

The ban follows the policy measures taken by the South Caucasus State Government. The government has asked the police to close several crypto mining farms and mining pools. According to the ban, the government has issued instructions to all telecommunications operators in Abkhazia, requiring them to take necessary technical measures to block any domain names, websites and addresses that can be linked to crypto mining, including mineral resources and mining data.

The relevant list will be compiled by the National Communications Committee. The ban will remain in place until at least June 1, 2021. At that time, the "temporary ban" will be lifted and crypto mining is expected to be legalized again. Earlier in October, the Abkhaz provincial government lifted the ban on cryptocurrency mining. Illegal mining was popular in the region before, and the local government decided to legalize it to circumvent the energy crisis.