Shifting Landscape of Bitcoin Mining in Russia
As the landscape of Bitcoin mining in Russia evolves, hardware demand is experiencing a notable decline in traditional mining strongholds, while metropolitan areas see an uptick in equipment purchases. According to a recent report by the Russian publication Vedomosti Yug, the B2B platform TenderPro identified the regions generating the highest demand for crypto mining rigs.
Regional Demand for Mining Hardware
Moscow and its surroundings lead the list, with the capital alone accounting for 21.9% of all mining hardware sales. This stark contrast highlights a significant shift from the historically prominent Siberian region, specifically Irkutsk, which now represents only 6.7% of the market. Once a hub for Bitcoin mining, much of Irkutsk has seen its operations rendered illegal, with existing legal mining facilities reportedly operating at nearly full capacity.
The migration towards larger cities, including St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region occupying the third spot at 4.7% and Krasnodar Krai in fourth, reflects miners’ responses to changing conditions. However, this urban shift coincides with a 19.3% dip in overall demand for mining equipment within the Russian South in the first eight months of 2025.
Market Correction and Urban Challenges
TenderPro’s Director of Digital Products Development, Olga Gorchitsyna, attributes this trend to a market correction following the Kremlin’s legalization of crypto mining, which temporarily inflated demand. Previously, miners flocked to Siberia and the North Caucasus, drawn by low energy costs, but these sparsely populated regions have struggled with limited power generation capabilities and increased law enforcement actions against illegal mining. As a result, miners are now favoring more urbanized regions where energy shortages are less frequent and competition among mining operations is minimal.
Noise Complaints and Health Concerns
Despite the apparent benefits of this relocation, urban miners are encountering their own set of challenges. In Kiritsy, a village located about 260 kilometers southeast of Moscow, residents have reported significant noise disruptions following the launch of a mining facility by Integral. Complaints about elevated noise levels—exceeding 50 decibels—have led local health authorities, Rospotrebnadzor, to intervene, temporarily halting the firm’s operations.
This level of noise has reportedly led to serious health complaints among residents, who are particularly concerned given that the village also houses a center for treating tuberculosis in children.
As Integral works to mitigate these issues with noise-reduction equipment sourced from specialists in China, the situation underscores the complexities faced by Russian miners as they navigate new environments.
