Russian State Duma Approves Criminal Liability Bill for Illegal Mining

The State Duma Committee on State Building and Legislation recommended the first reading of a government bill on criminal liability for illegal cryptocurrency mining. The bill will add Article 171.6 to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, holding accountable those who engage in mining activities not included in the state register and those who provide unlicensed mining infrastructure operation services.

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