Inner Mongolia Enlists Citizens to Report Illegal Cryptocurrency Mining
Inner Mongolia is asking the public to report illegal cryptocurrency mining as part of a broader Chinese crackdown on energy-intensive digital operations. The region aims to reduce energy intensity and curb power consumption to align with national carbon neutrality goals.
Inner Mongolia is actively encouraging citizens to report illegal cryptocurrency mining operations as part of a sweeping crackdown on power-intensive digital activities. The region's economic planning agency releases a notice providing phone numbers and email addresses for the public to expose hidden mining, relying on community supervision to enforce the ban.
This aggressive push targets four specific groups: dedicated mining enterprises, operations disguising themselves as data centres to receive tax and power perks, landlords hosting mining activities, and individuals tapping into illegal power supplies. The initiative supports Inner Mongolia's strict 2021 goals to reduce energy intensity by three percent while capping overall energy consumption growth at 1.9 percent.
Cryptocurrency mining requires massive amounts of electricity to power computer servers and keep data centres cool, which directly conflicts with China's long-term plans to achieve carbon neutrality. As financial regulators express growing concern over the risks of volatile digital assets like bitcoin and ethereum, Inner Mongolia's actions signal a potentially broader nationwide clampdown on the industry.