Power chiefs in two Russian Bitcoin mining hotspots have welcomed reports of an incoming year-round ban on crypto mining.

A government commission, which will convene in the coming days, is poised to ban all crypto mining operations in the southern part of the Republic of Buryatia and the entirety of Zabaykalsky Krai, the Russian newspaper Kommersant reported.

And officials in Buryatia have expressed their approval, the Russian news agency TASS reported.

“A complete ban on crypto mining is one of the measures that will help us stabilise the power supply,” said a Buryatia Ministry for Transport, Energy, and Road Development spokesperson.

The ban comes as Russia looks to expand its Bitcoin mining industry, yet power grid-related issues continue to frustrate industrial players, who say they’ve been left “vulnerable” by mining bans.

Wintertime ban to expand

Crypto mining is currently banned in southern Buryatia and Zabaykalsky Krai from November 15 to March 15.

But the new measures, which are set to take effect on January 1, 2026, will outlaw mining in the areas indefinitely. Moscow has previously imposed similar measures on other Bitcoin mining hotspots, such as the Irkutsk Oblast, “until 2031.”

The new ban comes despite Moscow’s insistence earlier this year that no further mining bans were coming. But power grid issues appear to be incessant in Southern and Eastern Siberia, as well as the North Caucasus.

The Buryatia ministry spokesperson said that power shortages in Irkutsk, Zabaykalsky Krai, and Buryatia itself “have reached nearly 3,000 MW.”

Setback for Russian miners

The ban is a blow for the government, which is looking increasingly likely to regulate crypto in 2026. As recently as October, the Deputy Energy Minister Yevgeny Grabchak told reporters the ministry did not expect to introduce any further bans in 2025.

The Ministry of Energy, meanwhile, told Kommersant it has not received any further requests to ban mining from other Russian regions.

Per Russian law, regions must appeal directly to the central government if they want to introduce a ban, with Moscow having the final say on the matter.

The Industrial Mining Association, a group that comprises some of the country’s biggest industrial players, expressed dismay. The association told Kommersant that new restrictions “reduce [Southern Siberia’s] attractiveness to investors.”

It said that the ban will “put market players who operate legally [...] in a vulnerable position.”

According to the association, some miners have already moved their rigs out of areas like Irkutsk, while others have simply “abandoned their equipment.”

Tim Alper is a news correspondent at DL News. Got a tip? Email at tdalper@dlnews.com.