Kazakhstan approves strategic crypto mining rules tied to national reserve

Kazakhstan, one of the world’s largest Bitcoin mining hubs, approved a new framework for large-scale crypto mining that links access to electricity with contributions to a state-backed digital asset reserve.The government approved rules for strategic digital mining on July 18, Kazakhstan-based news outlet Zakon.kz reported Wednesday, citing Government Resolution No. 638 published in the PRG.kz legal database.The rules define strategic digital mining as a framework that gives miners access to electricity quotas at regulated tariffs in exchange for transferring part of their mined crypto assets to Astana Hub, a government-backed technology cluster.Kazakhstan ranked fifth globally by Bitcoin mining activity in the Cambridge Digital Mining Industry Report published in April 2025.New rules set higher bar for strategic minersUnder the new framework, miners seeking strategic status must meet strict infrastructure requirements before receiving approval.According to Zakon.kz, applicants need to own a digital mining data center with at least 150 megawatts (MW) of capacity and use mining hardware where each unit has a minimum computing power of 150 terahashes per second (TH/s).Kazakhstan rank...