Electricity Rationing and Its Impact on Crypto Operations
When a country runs out of electricity, crypto doesn’t pause—it adapts, hides, or vanishes. Electricity rationing, the controlled reduction of power supply by governments during shortages. Also known as load shedding, it’s not just an inconvenience—it’s a make-or-break factor for crypto mining, exchange operations, and even wallet infrastructure. In places like Algeria and Afghanistan, where banks are frozen and internet access is spotty, Bitcoin becomes a lifeline. But if the lights go out, so does the ability to validate transactions, run nodes, or even charge a phone to access a wallet. Crypto thrives on constant power, and when rationing hits, the network doesn’t just slow down—it breaks.
Look at China. In 2021, the government didn’t just ban crypto—it cut the power to mining farms. Thousands of machines went dark overnight. Today, Alipay and WeChat Pay block any transaction tied to crypto, but the real chokehold is energy control, the state’s ability to shut off electricity to entire regions without warning. Without stable power, you can’t run a mining rig. Without mining, you can’t secure Bitcoin. And without Bitcoin’s hash rate, trust in the network weakens. This isn’t theoretical. In 2024, a single province in Kazakhstan lost power for 72 hours, and Bitcoin’s global hash rate dropped by 8%. That’s not a blip—it’s a warning.
It’s the same story in Singapore and Australia. The MAS doesn’t just regulate crypto—it ties compliance to energy efficiency. Exchanges must prove they’re not draining the grid. In Australia, privacy coins like Monero got banned not because they’re anonymous, but because they’re energy-heavy and hard to track. Crypto energy use, the amount of electricity consumed by blockchain networks and mining operations. It’s the hidden cost most people ignore. When governments ration electricity, they’re not just managing power—they’re managing which technologies survive. Crypto isn’t immune to the grid. It’s built on it.
What you’ll find below aren’t just articles about crypto rules or scams. They’re real-world case studies of what happens when the lights go out. From Algeria’s underground Bitcoin traders to El Salvador’s failed Bitcoin experiment, these posts show how energy access—or the lack of it—shapes who can use crypto, where, and under what conditions. This isn’t about speculation. It’s about survival.
Electricity Rationing for Crypto Mining in Kazakhstan: How the State Controls Power Use
Kazakhstan now strictly controls electricity for crypto mining with limits, forced sales, and licensing. Despite rules, illegal mining still steals millions in power. Who wins? Who loses? Here’s how the system really works.