MOI deploys drones to flush out cryptocurrency miners

The crackdown on cryptocurrency mining in Kuwait is intensifying under the leadership of Acting Prime Minister Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef, with legal action being taken against all violators.

The severe consequences of cryptocurrency mining, have its harmful impact on the country’s electricity grid, leading to load shedding and potential power outages affecting residential, commercial, and service areas, reports Al-Rai daily quoting a ministry source.

Ongoing field campaigns, monitored around the clock, aim to detect and eliminate violations. Drones are being used to identify mining activities on rooftops and in home courtyards.

A recent field operation led by Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef targeted illegal cryptocurrency mining sites, resulting in the arrest of a former official’s brother among the violators.

The Ministry of Electricity has identified over 1,000 sites involved in mining, with energy consumption at these locations increasing by more than 50%. The ministry continues to monitor abnormal electricity usage and works with relevant authorities to address these violations.