Russian State Duma Approves Bill on Criminal Liability for Illegal Mining

Odaily星球日报讯 The Russian State Duma's Committee on State Construction and Legislation has recommended passing in the first reading a government bill on criminal liability for the illegal mining of cryptocurrencies. The bill will add Article 171.6 to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, holding accountable mining activities not included in the state register and the unlicensed provision of mining infrastructure operation services.

If illegal income or damages exceed 3.5 million rubles, the offender faces a fine of up to 1.5 million rubles or up to two years of forced labor. If committed by an organized group or if income exceeds 13 million rubles, the maximum fine is up to 2.5 million rubles, with imprisonment of up to five years. In all cases of violation, the mined cryptocurrency will be confiscated. Currently, about 50,000 entities in Russia are engaged in mining, but only 1,489 are included in the register.