95% of Iran’s 427,000 active crypto mining devices operate illegally, official says

Iran’s energy chief says 95% of the country’s 427,000 crypto mining rigs operate illegally, consuming massive power and destabilizing the national grid.

Iran’s crypto mining industry is facing a widespread illegal mining crisis, with authorities estimating that over 95% of the country’s 427,000 active mining devices are operating without authorization.

Akbar Hasan Beklou, CEO of the Tehran Province Electricity Distribution Company, said on Sunday that Iran has become the world’s fourth-largest crypto mining hub, fueled by the country’s heavily subsidized electricity prices, which have made it a “paradise for illegal miners.”

These unlicensed operations consume more than 1,400 megawatts of power around the clock, placing immense pressure on the national grid and threatening the stability of electricity supplies.

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