Because of a major lack of energy, the government of Moldova has decided to stop crypto mining in the country. The move is part of an emergency plan to cut power use because energy supplies are running low because of the growing conflict in Ukraine.
To save power, the government of Moldova bans Bitcoin mining and the import of mining hardware.
As winter approaches and the energy crisis in Moldova gets worse, people are trying to stop people from mining cryptocurrency. This week, the country’s government took steps to limit the amount of electricity used, like banning the mining of digital coins.
During a meeting of Moldova’s Security Council, President Maia Sandu asked ministers to put restrictions in place to save electricity. This led to the ban. Crypto miners are among the first people to be affected by the cuts, even though their industry doesn’t use much power.
Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Spinu went on Telegram to warn about the expected lack of electricity. He blamed Russian air strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and reduced natural gas supplies by Russia’s energy giant Gazprom.
Spinu asked Moldovans to work together and be responsible so that there wouldn’t be any blackouts or disconnections. Between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., he asked businesses to turn off any advertising or decorative lighting, change their work schedules, and, if possible, use generators.
Tuesday, the Commission for Emergency Situations in Moldova approved a number of steps to deal with the energy crisis. Not only did it ban mining, but it also banned the import of any equipment used to mine cryptocurrency. According to a quote from the news agency RIA Novosti, it said:
Activities for the mining of crypto assets are prohibited, as well as the import of specialized equipment…, regardless of the location of the importing company
Officials in Chişinău also told people in Moldova to use less electricity by taking elevators less often, especially during rush hours, and by reducing the amount of light on storefronts and billboards. Local governments have also been told to cut back on street lighting.
