The Iranian police force in the nation's capitol of Tehran have taken nearly 10,000 illegally running Bitcoin mining devices since March of this year.
The police action comes after Iranian officials ordered they crack down on Bitcoin miners due to the country's electrical infrastructure failing. Leaders there have blamed cryptocurrency mining leading to an increase in the demand for electricity as one of the causes for recent blackouts.
The most current Iranian government ruling on mining, which is still in effect, says that mining farms may only be powered by renewable energy sources, and not connected to the public grid.
The most recent amended version of the `law is more lenient than earlier versions, since it permits hiring power providers from other parts of Iran.
"Majority" Located in Schools and Mosques...
According to the director of the Tehran Electricity Distribution Company, majority of the seizures occurred in mosques and schools.
This is because most Mosques and Schools in the country are enrolled in incentive programs that give them free, or extremely discounted electricity. Once you own the mining rigs the only expense miners have to deal with are power costs, so taking advantage of locations like these makes mining an "all profit" venture.
Iran's mining industry has been on a wild ride full of ups and downs. It's been allowed, it's been banned, and currently the rule is 'allowed, but with permission' which has miners needing to obtain the government's approval, and operate within government provided limitations.
We do not know if those who were found to be illegally mining will face any punishment beyond the loss of their hardware.
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Author: Adam Lee
Asia News Desk / Breaking Crypto News
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