Proposed Fines for Data Center Mining Discussed in State Duma, 2026/03/27 10:15:16

The Energy Committee of the State Duma of the Russian Federation has proposed the introduction of administrative fines for mining activities in data centers (DCs) that are listed in a special registry maintained by the Ministry of Digital Development.

This pertains to amendments to an already submitted bill that establishes administrative liability for violations of mining regulations. However, the committee’s review does not specify the exact amounts of fines for cryptocurrency mining in data centers.

As of March 1, Russian legislation prohibits mining in registered data centers, but penalties for violations have yet to be established. This restriction applies to both the act of mining itself and the placement of equipment, including within mining pools.

The registry of data centers is maintained by the Ministry of Digital Development. Inclusion in this registry is voluntary. Additional requirements are imposed on the owners of such facilities: they must be a Russian citizen without dual citizenship or a Russian legal entity not listed in the miners’ registry.

The bill, introduced to the State Duma in January by the heads of relevant committees on energy, financial markets, security, and construction, proposes the addition of a new Article 15.50 to the Code of Administrative Offenses.

For mining in regions where it is prohibited by the government, fines for companies are suggested to range from 100,000 to 2 million rubles, along with the confiscation of equipment or suspension of operations for up to 90 days. In the case of repeated violations, fines may increase to 5–10 million rubles. A fine of up to 500,000 rubles is proposed for providing mining capacity to unregistered individuals.

The first reading of the bill is scheduled for April 14. Concurrently, the government is preparing an initiative to introduce criminal liability for illegal mining.