Kazakhstan will grant major Bitcoin miners regulated access to electricity in return for handing over a share of their digital assets to a new state-backed crypto reserve under rules set to reshape one of the world’s largest mining hubs.
The government has approved a strategic framework that links power quotas for large-scale miners directly to participation in a national digital asset reserve managed through Astana Hub, a state-supported technology cluster in the capital.
The measures, adopted on 18 July under Government Resolution No. 638 and published in the PRG.kz legal database, are due to come into force on 1 August 2026. They mark a shift away from viewing crypto mining purely as a commercial activity and instead embed it in Kazakhstan’s wider economic and technological strategy.
Under the framework, a new category of “strategic digital mining” is being created for operators that meet strict technical and organisational conditions. Only miners granted this status will be eligible for electricity quotas at regulated tariffs.
Strict criteria for ‘strategic’ miners
According to Kazakhstan-based outlet Zakon.kz, applicants must own a digital mining data centre with an installed capacity of at least 150 megawatts (MW). Mining machines deployed at these facilities must deliver a minimum of 150 terahashes per second (TH/s) of computing power per unit.
Infrastructure and staffing requirements are equally demanding. Companies will have to employ suitably qualified technical staff, maintain on-site repair facilities for their equipment, and secure contracts with more than one internet service provider to ensure connectivity and resilience.
Firms must also be fully up to date with tax obligations and other mandatory payments before they can be approved. Only once these conditions are satisfied will operators be allowed to sign agreements with Astana Hub’s autonomous cluster fund and buy electricity from power producers designated under the scheme.
Portion of mined coins to feed state reserve
Participation will carry a further obligation: strategic miners will be required to transfer part of the cryptocurrency they mine into a reserve mechanism administered via Astana Hub.
The resolution itself does not specify the size of this contribution. Several local media outlets have reported that the rate could be set at 10%, but Cointelegraph said it was unable to independently verify that figure. Whatever the final percentage, the arrangement directly links miners’ access to regulated electricity supplies with their willingness to divert a slice of output into a state-managed pool of digital assets.
By tying industrial-scale mining to the accumulation of national crypto reserves, Kazakhstan is seeking to integrate a sector that grew rapidly after China’s 2021 crackdown into a more tightly controlled, state-aligned framework.
Building national crypto reserves
The new mining rules follow a series of initiatives that have expanded Kazakhstan’s participation in regulated cryptocurrency markets and digital asset investment.
As previously reported by crypto.news, Kazakhstan launched the state-backed Alem Crypto Fund in September 2025 to build long-term reserves in digital assets. Its first move was to gain exposure to BNB through a partnership with Binance Kazakhstan, giving the fund an initial foothold in the market.
Earlier this year, Reuters reported that the National Bank of Kazakhstan planned to allocate up to $350m of its roughly $69bn in gold and foreign exchange reserves into crypto-linked investment products. Rather than directly purchasing Bitcoin or Ethereum, the central bank said it would invest via funds, index products and companies providing digital asset infrastructure. That stance has placed Kazakhstan among a small group of countries committing a portion of sovereign reserves to the sector.
Regulated payments and tighter enforcement
Kazakhstan has also moved to expand regulated crypto use in everyday payments. In July, Alatau City Bank joined with Binance Kazakhstan to introduce Crypto Pay, a service that lets customers make purchases in cryptocurrency using QR codes and point-of-sale terminals connected to the bank’s acquiring network. The launch forms part of a broader government push to develop licensed financial services built around digital assets.
At the same time, authorities have intensified efforts to clamp down on unregulated activity. In January, officials blocked access to more than 1,100 unlicensed cryptocurrency exchange platforms, according to government figures cited by crypto.news. The crackdown was designed to drive users towards licensed venues and strengthen the formal digital asset market.
Major mining centre seeks greater control
Kazakhstan remains a key location for Bitcoin mining following the influx of operators that left China after Beijing’s restrictions on the industry in 2021. The Cambridge Digital Mining Industry Report, published in April 2025, ranked Kazakhstan fifth worldwide by Bitcoin mining activity, underlining its continued weight in the sector.
The latest framework does not simply aim to expand that footprint. Instead, it makes electricity access contingent on participation in government-backed initiatives, aligning industrial mining policy with the development of state digital reserves.
This approach fits with other high-profile technology projects the country has pursued over the past year. Earlier this month, Balaji Srinivasan’s Network School signed a memorandum of understanding with Kazakhstan to create a new campus focused on education, artificial intelligence, startups and technology research. The agreement came as the organisation faced regulatory difficulties in Malaysia and added another international tech partnership to Kazakhstan’s wider digital economy plans.
