The Kuwaiti government has initiated an extensive investigation into illegal cryptocurrency mining, uncovering 31 unauthorized mining operations across 59 properties involving 116 suspects. Authorities have traced significant financial transactions to these activities and have disconnected electricity supplies at implicated locations. The crackdown is aimed at curbing unlawful electricity usage, which is seen as exacerbating the country’s ongoing power crisis. Omar Al-Omar, Kuwait’s Minister of State for Communications Affairs, pointed out that illicit mining places undue strain on the power grid and could cause outages impacting residential and commercial sectors.
This operation highlights Kuwait's strict prohibition on crypto mining and reflects growing concerns about energy-intensive mining practices in the Gulf region. The authorities’ swift actions are part of a broader strategy to prevent power shortages, particularly as summer energy demands increase. The investigation’s outcomes may shape future regulatory and energy resource strategies, prompting technological changes and more stringent policies around virtual asset activities in Kuwait and possibly neighboring states.
