Key Insights:
- Tajikistan imposes severe fines on illegal crypto mining and power theft.
- According to authorities, increasing power shortages are linked to unregulated mining.
- Almost 4,000 people are subject to damage investigations related to the use of unauthorized electricity.
The Tajikistan parliament has implemented new laws to prevent widespread cases of electricity theft related to cryptocurrency mining. Legislators passed changes to the Criminal Code with the introduction of Article 253(2), which proposes specific criminal and financial penalties for using mining equipment with unlicensed power sources.
New Criminal Article Targets Unmetered Mining Operations
Under the amendments, individuals running mining devices with stolen electricity face fines ranging from 15,000 to 37,000 somoni, or imprisonment from two to five years. Members of organized groups engaging in such activities may be fined up to 75,000 somoni and sentenced to two to five years in prison.
Moreover, cases defined as “particularly large-scale” offenses carry tougher sentences. Offenders may face imprisonment for five to eight years, reflecting the government’s position that illegal mining poses a threat to the national grid.
Parliament’s decision resolves long-standing concerns about unregulated mining activities across the country. Many operators have tapped directly into the grid, thereby avoiding electricity bills and placing additional pressure on supply systems already struggling with low seasonal output.
Energy Theft Creates Countrywide Pressure on the Grid
According to local reports, Prosecutor General Habibullo Vohidzoda told lawmakers that mining farms illegally connected to the grid had caused major disruptions. He urged that energy shortages were occurring across multiple regions, saying the strain on the system had forced authorities to ration power.
Vohidzoda noted that illegal mining has resulted in material losses for the state and facilitated related offenses, including money laundering. According to Diplomatic, Habibullo had previously reported damages from illegal mining operations, causing 32 million somoni (nearly $3.52 million), which led to four to five case investigations.
As of August 2025, the Tajikistan parliament has been pursuing 190 criminal cases involving the unauthorized use of electricity. These cases involve nearly 4,000 individuals accused of causing combined damages of $4.26 million.
MP Shukhrat Ganizoda added that operators often deploy thousands of ASIC units at once. Many of these devices operate on direct, unmetered power lines, resulting in substantial spikes in consumption.
Regional Shifts Drive Mining Activity Into Central Asia
Tajikistan’s power grid draws 95% of its power from hydropower, and the grid becomes susceptible when rivers are low and reservoirs are dry in winter.
These seasonal shortages have become more severe as crypto miners who left China after the 2021 ban relocated their operations to Central Asia, adding new pressure to the system.
