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Source: https://www.ynetnews.com/tech-and-digital/article/by60h2hezl
How Illegal Crypto Mining Cripples Iran's Electricity and Economy
(Ynet News) Ella Rosenberg - Unregulated crypto mining is a colossal drain on Iran's already fragile national power grid. Illegal miners take advantage of the country's heavily subsidized electricity prices, which are among the cheapest in the world. The illegal farms tap into the grid using residential, agricultural or industrial connections, paying a fraction of the actual cost or, in some cases, bypassing meters entirely. Iranian power officials estimate that unauthorized crypto mining operations consume the equivalent to the electricity demand of an entire major city like Tehran. State-run utility Tavanir has attributed 15-20% of the country's electricity deficit to these operations. The result is predictable rolling blackouts across major cities and provinces. The subsidized energy intended for homes and vital industries is being secretly siphoned off to generate a private, digital asset, forcing the public to bear the cost in darkness. The authorities offer large cash rewards to citizens who report illegal operations, a desperate measure that highlights the severity of the crisis. The illegal crypto mining phenomenon in Iran is an organized, large-scale black market. The writer is a senior research fellow at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs.