Why Mining Is Now Being Discussed in Criminal Terms
In 2026, illegal cryptocurrency mining stopped being purely a matter of taxes, energy consumption, and administrative complaints. The Russian government has submitted a bill to the State Duma proposing to add a new Article 171.6 to the Criminal Code and introduce criminal liability for illegal digital currency mining and for illegally operating mining infrastructure. This isn’t about any use of cryptocurrency, but about cases where the activity causes major damage to citizens, organizations, or the state, or is linked to earning income on a large scale. According to published figures, the “large” threshold is proposed at over 3.5 million rubles, and the “especially large” threshold at over 13 million rubles.
Where the Real Risk Arises
Interest in cryptocurrency alone does not constitute a crime. The risk arises where mining is conducted without complying with the rules for engaging in the activity, in violation of registration requirements, through questionable energy consumption, or combined with other concerns raised by an investigation. A separate problem is that such cases rarely stay isolated. If the investigation believes that digital assets were later used to conceal the origin of funds, the topic of money laundering quickly comes up alongside it — something I’ve already covered in detail in the article “Cryptocurrency and Article 174.1 of the Criminal Code.”
What Exactly Is Being Proposed
According to materials on the submitted bill, illegal mining causing major damage or major income could carry a fine of up to 1.5 million rubles, mandatory labor of up to 480 hours, or forced labor of up to two years. In especially large cases, penalties could reach a fine of 2.5 million rubles, forced labor of up to five years, or imprisonment for the same term; confiscation of property is also mentioned separately. This matters for one key reason: the focus is not only on large mining farms, but also on those who assumed the matter would be limited to a civil dispute with an energy company or a tax audit. In practice, the shift from an “inspection” to a criminal assessment can happen very quickly.
What to Do If the Issue Has Already Come Up
The first mistake in such situations is giving hasty explanations without understanding exactly what is being examined: theft of electricity, illegal mining, tax evasion, or possible money laundering. The second mistake is assuming that because the criminal article is still under discussion, there’s no risk — the legal landscape has already shifted, and law enforcement interest in such cases has become noticeably more assertive. If you’ve already been approached with questions about equipment, electricity consumption, wallets, or the movement of digital assets, it’s wise to first determine the actual subject of the inquiry before forming a position. In such cases, what matters isn’t just the fact of mining itself, but how the investigation tries to link it to damage, income, and subsequent financial transactions.