Kazakhstan's government on July 18 approved Government Resolution No. 638, creating a "strategic digital mining" category that trades regulated electricity tariffs for a slice of miners' output going straight to a state reserve.
Under the new rules, qualifying companies sign agreements with Astana Hub, a government-backed technology cluster, and purchase power from designated generation companies. In return, they hand over a portion of mined cryptocurrency to a reserve mechanism administered through that same hub. The exact percentage is not specified in the official document, though local outlets have reported the figure at 10%. Cointelegraph noted it could not independently verify that number.
The bar to qualify is steep
Getting strategic status is not straightforward. Applicants must own a data center with at least 150 MW of installed capacity. Mining rigs at those facilities need to deliver a minimum of 150 TH/s per unit. Companies also need qualified technical staff on site, in-house repair facilities, contracts with multiple ISPs, and a clean tax record before approval lands.
The framework does not kick in until August 1, 2026, so operators have time to restructure. But the direction is clear: Kazakhstan is pulling mining out of the purely commercial lane and anchoring it to state infrastructure, much like the country has been doing across its broader digital asset sector. This sits alongside a global trend of governments trying to capture value from crypto activity rather than just regulate it at the edges, a tension also visible in debates like the ones around U.S. crypto legislation and conflicts of interest.
For large operators already running hundreds of megawatts in Kazakhstan, subsidised electricity is significant. The country's cheap power has drawn miners for years, and tying that advantage to reserve contributions gives Astana real use over an industry it has struggled to fully account for in its energy grid.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice.
