Russia has expanded its cryptocurrency mining restrictions to include Moscow, the Moscow Region, and parts of the Kursk Region, citing electricity supply concerns. The ban takes effect on August 15, 2026, and remains in place through December 31, 2032.

The expansion was formalized through Resolution No. 936, signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on July 25, 2026. The resolution amends an earlier mining restriction order issued in December 2024, according to records published on Pravo.gov.ru. That December 2024 order followed the enactment of Russia's federal law on digital currency mining, which legalized industrial and individual mining while authorizing the government to impose regional bans where grid capacity is insufficient.

Under the updated rules, the nation's capital and the Moscow Region join the restricted areas list, along with eight municipal districts and the city of Lgov in the Kursk region, which borders Ukraine. The inclusion of Moscow marks the first time the restrictions reach Russia's largest metropolitan market, extending the policy beyond the resource-frontier regions that were the initial focus. The measure broadens existing restrictions targeting areas with electricity supply challenges.

Earlier restrictions were implemented in several other Russian regions, including parts of Buryatia and the Zabaykalsky Krai, where a mining ban runs from April 1, 2026, through March 15, 2031. Russia became one of the world's largest cryptocurrency mining hubs after China's 2021 crackdown on mining operations displaced significant activity to neighboring countries.

The Moscow Region's Energy Ministry had previously indicated that a mining ban was necessary due to growing electricity demand, according to TASS. The ministry estimated that Moscow and the Moscow Region have 65 data centers connected to the power grid with a combined capacity of 734 megawatts. This includes 19 data centers in the Moscow Region with 233 MW of capacity.