Iran Officials Blame Bitcoin Miners for Blackouts and Pollution
Iran’s authorities are blaming Bitcoin miners for widespread blackouts and pollution across the country.
In August 2019, amid comprehensive US sanctions, Iran eased restrictions on cryptocurrencies as it was shut out of traditional financial markets. Bitcoin “legally” mined could be used for financing imports.
Authorized miners could use a limited amount of Iran’s subsidized energy. But cryptocurrency farms, with banks of high-powered computers, began draining supplies. The problem was compounded by thousands of “illegal” operations.
With the price of Bitcoin rising sharply, the Government has been accused of involvement in the illegal schemes. Mahmoud Vaezi, the head of President Hassan Rouhani’s office, responded that there has been “pressure to regulate [the market] in some way”.
Outcry Over Power Outages, Smog Forces Iran To Act Against Bitcoin Miners
January 17, 2021 08:54 GMT
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Iranian authorities are blaming power outages and worsening air pollution in cities across the country on the energy drain caused by bitcoin mining operations.
The cryptocurrency farms are a huge energy drain because they use banks of high-powered computers to try to unlock complex numerical puzzles related to international financial transactions.
When successful, bitcoin miners create units of so-called digital coins that can be traded globally without the scrutiny and restrictions of traditional financial markets.
Circumventing Sanctions
In August 2019, facing strangling U.S. economic sanctions, Iran eased its restrictions on cryptocurrencies in an attempt to break economic isolation by circumventing the traditional financial markets Tehran has been blocked from using.