Tajikistan Imposes Criminal Penalties for Crypto Miners Using Stolen Power

Tajikistan Attorney General Khabibullo Vokhidzoda presented a bill on criminalizing unauthorized electricity use for crypto mining in parliament on December 9, 2025. Following the bill presentation, the Tajikistan parliament has approved revisions to the criminal code by introducing a new article 253(2) outlining penalties for crypto miners who use stolen electricity. Article 253(2): “Illegal use of electricity for the production of virtual assets.” states that violations related to the unauthorized use of electricity for virtual asset mining carry fines ranging from $1,650 to $4,070. The law stipulates that large‑scale offenses involving multiple individuals may result in fines between $4,125 and $8,250, or imprisonment for two to eight years. 

Tajikistan’s Prosecutor General, Khabibullo Vokhidzoda, criticized cryptocurrency mining farms for electricity theft, citing them as a reason for imposing power limits. Vohidzoda said at an official press conference that the illegal circulation of virtual assets was facilitating crimes such as electricity theft, material damage to the state, money laundering, and other offenses. He noted that numerous uncovered cases of electricity theft involving mining farms had, in some areas, artificially created shortages and restrictions on electricity supply. 

The Tajik parliament reviewed the draft on December 3rd and adopted the amendments to the country’s criminal code. He mentioned the damages and losses of the state due to the illegal mining operations earlier. According to him, these unauthorized facilities have caused losses of 32 million somoni (around $3.52 million), which led to multiple offenses, including four to five criminal cases. Recent reports confirm that law enforcement has filed cases over smuggled mining equipment illegally connected to the national grid. 

Recently, Nikolai Shulginov, Chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee on Energy, has also proposed bills to the State Duma increasing fines for violating mining requirements and implementing criminal procedures for the theft of electricity for virtual asset mining. 

Miners Use Devices That Consume Extremely Large Amounts Of Electricity, Says MP Shukhrat Ganizoda

Tajikistan’s parliament warmly welcomed the legislative amendment, with members voicing support for the regulatory changes. The Member of Parliament, Shukhrat Ganizoda, responded to the newly implemented regulations. He confronted the miners by stating that, when producing digital assets, they connected computer equipment and devices to electrical networks that consumed extremely large amounts of electricity. He later explained the scenario by noting down the special mining equipment they use and how these energy-consuming devices impact the country’s electricity problems.

He explained that one of the most common types of equipment used in mining was ASIC. A standard ASIC consumed up to 3.5 kWh, while more powerful models used 5–6 kWh. He noted that miners building large farms connected thousands of ASIC devices to Tajikistan’s power grid, and those committing such crimes sought to use electricity without meters or through other illegal means to produce digital assets. 

He also believes that the amendments will prevent serious violations related to taxation, electronic encryption, and operations monitoring of trade turnover. Tax evasion schemes have been a significant issue for the Tajikistan Government. The administration now believes that the new legislation could prevent the tax evasion schemes to an extent, and the unauthorized electronic encryption and commodity-tracking systems will be under strict monitoring. The bill has now been passed by the parliament and will be effective after the President Emomali Rahmon signs it into law. 

Also Read: U.S. Teachers Union Urges Congress to Drop Crypto Market Bill, Cites Pension Risks