The government of Kosovo has adopted measures tailored to
maintain energy supply in the coming months, including a ban on
cryptocurrency mining. The move comes amid a sharp increase in import
prices and the restrictions can be extended for up to six months.
Authorities in Kosovo Reinstate Ban on Cryptocurrency Mining
The executive power in Kosovo has approved certain steps to ensure
sufficient energy supplies for homes and businesses during the next
weeks and months. Tass news agency reports that the respective decree
has been published by the government in Pristina this week.
The measures adopted by the cabinet of ministers include helping
households to meet their heating needs, supporting the nation’s grid
operator to guarantee the security of electricity distribution as well
as efforts to reduce consumption by all institutions.
Prohibiting the use of electrical energy for digital currency
production is also listed as a necessary move. The power-hungry
industrial activity was first halted last winter, when the partially recognized republic in Southeast Europe was facing shortages.
The government explained it’s introducing the “emergency measures” in
connection with the current global energy situation, namely the steeply
rising rates at which Kosovo is importing its energy and a possible ban
on the export of fossil materials from some European countries. The
latter may result in a further price increase.
In a statement, the Kosovo authorities insisted their main motivation
is to not only ensure sufficient energy supply during the winter but
also to protect the public interest. The measures, including the mining
ban, have been imposed for an initial period of two months but the
ministers will be able to extend them for up to 180 days with a majority
vote.
Besides suspending cryptocurrency mining last year, the government also went after the operators of illegal mining facilities, seizing hardware in a number of police raids, including hundreds of coin minting devices from underground crypto farms.
The crackdown threatened to raise ethnic tensions in the small
country as the Albanian-led central government targeted regions with a
predominantly Serb population in the north where consumers have been
refusing to pay their electricity bills for more than two decades as
they don’t recognize the authority of Pristina.
source link : https://news.bitcoin.com/kosovo-renews-crypto-mining-ban-amid-rising-energy-prices/
