It is especially important for countries to become more aware of cryptocurrencies, especially with components like decentralized finance rising in prominence. Now that the Middle East is becoming more mining-friendly, the future suddenly looks bright once again for this region. Pakistani administration legalizes crypto mining The Pakistani government appears to be moving quickly toward a pro-crypto stance. Following a commitment to integrate Bitcoin (BTC) into its financial system last December, the country is taking steps to legalize mining. Sumera Shams, a member of the provincial assembly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, announced on Twitter that the body had voted to pass a …

The push by many in Iran to establish the country as a mecca for crypto miners may be having some unintended environmental consequences. According to a Bloomberg report, the energy requirements of Bitcoin (BTC) and crypto mining in Iran coupled with the demand for heat in an exceptionally cold winter have contributed to a natural gas shortage, forcing power plants to allegedly burn "low-grade fuel oils" to meet the country’s electrical needs. The result has been "thick layers of toxic smog" across many Iranian cities and blackouts as some power plants have closed. Iran is already facing economic burdens as …

According to an investigative report from RunRun.es, Venezuela intends to increase its use of Bitcoin to pay for imports to bypass financial sanctions imposed by the United States. RunRun.es, which was founded by Venezuelan investigative journalist Nelson Bocaranda, cited anonymous sources from the country’s central bank who claim that “payments to companies from allied countries such as Iran and Turkey have been made using Bitcoin.” It is unclear, what these imports consist of, however, Turkey and Iran currently provide the country food and fuel in exchange for gold. Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro's government has promoted its state-issued, purportedly oil-backed ‘Petro’ …

According to ArzDigital, Gholam Hossein Mozaffari, CEO of the Kish Free Zone Organization, hopes that the Iranian government will approve a proposal to use crypto funds, such as Bitcoin (BTC), to pay for car imports on Kish Island in Iran. The decision will fall to the Central Bank of Iran, who has said in the past that this type of funding would not be possible due to the hyperinflation of the rial — the nation’s currency. Mozaffari told local media outlets that the issue of car imports has been a “sad story,” because of the expensive costs involved: “Our next …

Taras Kulyk, Senior Vice President of Blockchain Business Development at Core Scientific, says that the countries competing to become leaders in the Blockchain space vary greatly in what they can offer to crypto miners. During an interview with Cointelegraph, Kulyk stated that global diversification of hashrate has been increasing as countries around the world vie for control of the crypto mining industry. Kulyk believes that China has been a desirable hub for crypto mining due to specific factors it enjoys, specifically the low cost of labor, access to units, and decreased cost of power during the rainy season, but he …

Whistleblowers helped Tavanir, Iran’s power company, shut down 1100 crypto mining farms that were allegedly operating without the proper licenses. Although Tavanir says that some of the miners were using “high levels” of subsidized electricity, their report clarified that no significant changes were spotted in terms of electricity consumption. Local authorities said that this is why they had to rely on whistleblowers, noting that Tavanir “cannot detect all illegal farms solely by studying their consumption patterns.” Individuals who provided information leading to the detection of unauthorized miners received 100 million rials ($480) for their cooperation, the Financial Tribune said. Iran …

Crypto mining in Iran is set to become even bigger with the government giving the green light for power plants to mine cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC). The news is the latest piece of positive development on the virtual currency mining front to come out of the country in the last year. Since legalizing crypto mining back in July 2019, Iranian authorities have sought to ensure market participants operate only after obtaining the required licenses. By allowing power plants to engage in cryptocurrency mining, Iran is joining other emerging hubs as the global “hash wars” gathers pace. Iran has seen an …

Iran has announced that it will now allow industrial-scale power plants in the country to operate as Bitcoin miners —- provided they don’t use subsidized fuel. In a statement to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) on July 27, Mostafa Rajabi Mashhadi, a Deputy Managing Director at Tavanir, Iran's Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution Management Company, said power plants in the country could operate as Bitcoin mines “if they comply with approved tariffs" and have the necessary licenses. Mashhadi said that any power plant considering such a venture could not use subsidized fuel for crypto mining. "Now we’re in a …

Bitcoin (BTC) will hit $500,000 because the United States will start a giant hash war with Iran and Venezuela — and it’s already started. In the latest episode of his "Keiser Report" TV show, Max Keiser predicted that the Iranian and Venezuelan regimes would force the Trump administration to embrace BTC. Keiser: God is looking at us through the Bitcoin protocol Thanks to Tehran potentially controlling 3% of the Bitcoin hash rate already and Venezuela — briefly — accepting BTC payments, the U.S. joining the fight for Bitcoin supremacy is only a matter of time. “Iran has already got 3% …

Russia’s decision to lift its two-year Telegram ban is going to mark the beginning of a broader movement to protect privacy-focused apps like Telegram, the company’s CEO says. Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of Telegram, issued a statement in response to Russian authorities officially terminating the ban on the messaging app in the country last week. Telegram’s progress in Russia to help other countries In a June 21 Telegram post, Durov said that the company will not rest on its laurels, and is planning more efforts to support Telegram in other countries like China and Iran. According to Durov, the …

Bitisis, an Iran-based cryptocurrency exchange platform targeting Chinese investors with investment opportunities, has reportedly pulled an exit scam. Chinese police are currently investigating the exchange’s disappearance, with the platform appearing to have transferred users’ assets to three wallet addresses after abruptly suspending operations. However, the addresses in question are held by major cryptocurrency exchanges and have been frozen. The operators of Bitisis are reportedly linked to a number of other similar exchanges. Arbitrage Fraud? According to 8btc, Bitisis lured investors with promises of abundant arbitrage opportunities affiliate referral commissions and embarked on an aggressive marketing campaign targeting the users of …

Iran’s president has tasked officials at the central bank and ministries of energy, communications and IT with drafting plans for a national cryptocurrency mining strategy. As reported by the Iranian news website ArzDigital on May 22, officials were briefed during the 137th session of Iran’s economic coordination headquarters earlier this week, chaired by President Hassan Rouhani. The development comes shortly after the Iranian government announced a redenomination policy for the country’s fiat currency, the rial, in a bid to tackle crippling chronic inflation. Digital currencies closely watched by the Iranian government Earlier this week, Iran had also moved to include …