Catenaa, Tuesday, December 16, 2025-Tajikistan has amended its Criminal Code to penalize cryptocurrency miners using stolen electricity, introducing fines and prison terms for violations.
Parliament approved the revisions on December 3, with Attorney General Khabibullo Vokhidzoda presenting the amendments and warning of ongoing power theft by miners.
Under Article 253(2), offenders face fines between $1,650 and $8,250 or two to five years in prison. Miners operating on an “especially large scale” could receive five to eight years behind bars.
Authorities cited illegal mining as a contributor to regional power outages and material damages of roughly 32 million somoni ($3.52 million), which have triggered multiple criminal investigations.
Tajikistan, which relies on hydropower for nearly 95 percent of its electricity, has struggled with winter shortages due to low reservoir and river levels.
The country has also seen an influx of foreign crypto miners, particularly from Russia and China, following Beijing’s 2021 mining ban.
Authorities report 190 ongoing criminal cases involving nearly 4,000 individuals, with alleged damages totaling $4.26 million.
Lawmakers emphasized that miners often connect thousands of ASIC devices illegally, bypassing meters and exploiting the grid. The revisions aim to prevent tax evasion, unauthorized electronic encryption, and attempts to circumvent commodity tracking systems.
The legislation will take effect after President Emomali Rahmon signs it into law.
