Norway Proposes Temporary Ban on New Crypto Mining Data Centers

Norway’s Labour Party government plans to impose a temporary ban on new crypto mining data centers using energy-intensive proof-of-work systems, as reported by Reuters.

The key points of the proposal include:

Ban could start in Autumn 2025, pending approval.
Aim is to preserve electricity for more productive industries.
Minister for Digitalization Karianne Tung stated that cryptocurrency mining generates minimal local jobs and income.
Norway attracts Bitcoin miners due to its low-cost, renewable hydropower resources.
Mining farms require high-capacity power, which regulators prefer to allocate to manufacturing, heating, or AI workloads.

Current operations, like those of Kryptovault near Oslo, recycle heat for local use but face scrutiny regarding energy consumption.