Courts have forced the Iranian government to return thousands of previously confiscated Bitcoin mining equipment.
Main aspects:
- Iranian authorities have seized around 150,000 Bitcoin mining rigs.
- The Iranian government may use hardware it doesn’t return to mine.
The Iranian government and the State-owned Sale and Collection Organization (OCSSOP) are working to return Bitcoin mining hardware previously seized by the authorities.
The OCSSOP mining hardware return procedure responds to a legal order from the courts ordering this action to be taken.
Currently, approximately 150,000 cryptocurrency mining rigs are in the hands of the OCSSOP, most of which will be released in obedience to court orders. There are cars that have already been returned.
Abdolmajid Eshtehadi, head of OCSSOP.
Eshtehadi also hinted that the Iranian government could use some of the seized equipment that is not returned to mine Bitcoin, commenting that the national power company “should come up with new plans to use the (remaining) hardware without causing damage to the park.” . national electricity”.
Between 2021 and 2022, the Iranian authorities repeatedly banned mining for climatic reasons and shortages that prevent it from providing the necessary amount of energy to the entire population. CriptoNoticias reported that in 2021 alone, the Iranian government shut down more than 5,300 bitcoin and cryptocurrency mines.
Last July, Iranian miners regained the ability to activate their equipment as long as they used electricity from renewable sources. To mine Bitcoin in Iran, you need to be registered with the authorities.
Massive seizures of mining equipment have also occurred in Latin American countries, such as Venezuela and Argentina. In such cases, authorities usually claim grounds related to lack of import permits for Bitcoin mining equipment, illegal use or theft of electricity, or unlicensed operations.
