Russia now requires cryptocurrency mining farms to connect to the grid under Category 4, a lower-priority power reliability tier. Authorities can cut their supply during shortages. The rule covers new applications and some pending ones, not farms already operating on completed connections.
Russia has limited grid connections for cryptocurrency miners to Category 4 reliability, a tier that permits power interruptions when electricity is needed elsewhere. The Ministry of Energy confirmed the change on October 9, after the government adopted Resolution No. 1300 on October 6.
Mining farms accept interruptions in exchange for a connection
The decree covers companies operating mining equipment, businesses in mining pools and infrastructure providers that support crypto mining. Category 4 connections carry a lower supply priority than conventional arrangements, so operators must be ready for outages during shortages or operational problems.
According to the ministry, placing miners in this category will help prevent extra demand from reducing power for other customers. The ministry described the changes as supporting the "efficient use of existing energy infrastructure" while protecting reliable supply for residents.
The decree does not order an immediate nationwide shutdown. It changes the conditions for obtaining grid connections, and the text does not establish that every facility already running on a completed higher-priority connection must move to Category 4.
Pending applications face revised requirements
The Category 4 framework itself dates to February 2026, when Government Resolution No. 103 created it for consumers willing to accept a less reliable supply. Resolution No. 1300 now makes it mandatory for qualifying new mining connections.
Applications submitted earlier but not yet completed may also be affected. Where a complete regional mining ban applies, providers must suspend processing of pending applications and the signing of related connection agreements until the ban is lifted. Grid operators can also reject applications if they cannot approve the necessary Category 4 conditions.
Regional bans continue alongside the new rule
The decree sits next to existing regional restrictions. In August 2026, Russia expanded mining restrictions in Moscow, the surrounding Moscow Region and designated areas of Kursk. Qualifying for a Category 4 connection does not exempt operators from every regional ban.
Russia's Federal Antimonopoly Service has separately proposed barring electricity companies from mining or supplying certain facilities and capacity to miners. The October 6 decree does not establish that the proposal has been adopted. The Ministry of Energy has not said how many farms will need new Category 4 connections.
Source: crypto.news
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