Bitcoin Mining on Covid Service in Russia

The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on Friday that they arrested the specialist on charges of running an illegal Bitcoin mining operation.

A Russian medical professional could face up to two years in prison after authorities arrested him for allegedly operating an illegal mining facility at a facility designed to treat coronavirus patients.

The specialist was responsible for information security at a public hospital in Gorno-Altaisk, a town in Southern Siberia, in the Altai Republic.

According to RBC's report, the man started mining tokens in February 2021 and connected his own mining rigs to the hospital's server. After the need for fans and similar equipment in the city began to gradually decrease, the used room was emptied and the specialist took full advantage.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Altai Republic finally worked with the country's secret service, the FSB. The parties that raided the hospital also searched the suspect's residence.

Officers claimed that the expert had been using the hospital's electricity illegally for nearly a year, causing approximately $6,800 in property damage.

Based on the evidence they had gathered, the officers decided to file a complaint against the individual.

Cryptocurrency mining is not prohibited under Russia's law, but police and courts have previously been tough on people they think have stolen electricity from state-run institutions or the grid to pay for mining activities.

Meanwhile, according to Interfax's report, Japanese real estate giant SBI and SBI Crypto announced that they will launch crypto mining services in Russia. This comes after a call last month by diplomats in Washington urging Japanese crypto companies to cut ties with Russia.

Several Japanese mining companies had previously set up mining farms in Siberia, taking advantage of lower electricity costs and even lower cooling fees.