Officials uncover secret crypto mining setup in shocking location — here are the details

Russian officials just found a secret crypto mining setup inside a Kamaz truck parked near a village in Buryatia. Cointelegraph reported the truck carried 95 mining rigs and a transformer, all hooked up to a power line strong enough to supply an entire village.

What is crypto mining?

Crypto mining creates new coins and checks transactions on a blockchain, a digital record that can't be changed. Computers solve puzzles to keep the system running. But these puzzles require a lot of electricity. Mining bitcoin uses more power each year than some countries.

Why does crypto mining matter?

Mining can bring money and tech jobs. But it also comes with human and environmental costs. This truck setup was stealing power meant for homes. Rosseti Siberia's Buryatenergo unit told Cointelegraph that illegal connections cause voltage drops, overloads, and blackouts for nearby residents.

Inspectors found the equipment during a routine power line check in the Pribaikalsky District. Two people linked to the truck fled in an SUV before police arrived.

This was the sixth time this year that miners stole power in Buryatia. Mining is banned in most areas of Buryatia between November and March because of energy shortages. Registered companies can operate only in certain districts during other months.

How does crypto mining impact energy grids?

Mining rigs run all day every day. They need constant, strong power to stay profitable. This stresses local grids, pushes up electricity prices, and causes blackouts when the system can't handle demand. In Russia, these issues have triggered new rules. Mining bans have expanded to other areas, including Irkutsk and Dagestan.

Illegal mining isn't the only concern. Cybercrime groups use hidden software to mine crypto on hacked computers. Kaspersky told Cointelegraph that a group called Rare Werewolf uses fake documents in phishing emails to infect systems. The malware disables antivirus protection and secretly mines crypto at night while owners sleep. According to Kaspersky, the malware steals login credentials and checks system specs to configure mines efficiently.

Why you should care about crypto's pollution footprint

Mining saps huge amounts of power, often from coal and gas plants. This adds heat-trapping pollution to the air. A University of Cambridge study found that 52.4% of the energy used for bitcoin mining came from cleaner sources, such as hydropower, wind, and nuclear. But nearly half still comes from dirty fuels. It can also create noise pollution and have a negative impact on human health.

Some companies are working to fix this. For example, Mara Holdings built a wind farm to power bitcoin mining in Texas. Bhutan uses hydropower to mine crypto. But mining still has an environmental cost when fossil fuels are part of the power mix.

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