Kazakhstan introduces rules for strategic Bitcoin mining

Kazakhstan takes a major step towards state-controlled crypto. On 18 July 2026, the government officially approves the ‘Rules for the implementation of strategic digital mining’. Companies falling under this new framework benefit from favourable electricity tariffs, but give something in return: a portion of the mined digital assets goes directly to the state.

Electricity advantage in exchange for crypto contribution

Companies that receive the status of strategic mining party obtain electricity quotas at a maximum rate applicable to energy producers. That is a significant advantage in a sector where electricity costs are the largest expense. The price companies pay is thus legally capped, giving them a competitive edge over ordinary miners.

The downside is that these companies are obliged to transfer a portion of their mined digital assets to Astana Hub, the technology park of Kazakhstan. Thus the mining activity indirectly finances the country’s national crypto strategy. The new rules come into effect ten calendar days after official publication, reports the Kazakh government.

State investment fund manages the crypto reserve

The transferred digital assets end up with a state investment company that is supervised by the National Bank of Kazakhstan. This fund manages the country’s so-called strategic crypto reserve. The reserve is not only intended to hold crypto, but may also invest in derivatives based on digital assets and in shares of companies active in the development or management of digital assets.

With this, Kazakhstan positions itself as one of the few countries in the world with a formal legal framework for a state crypto reserve. The country has been one of the largest mining locations in the world for years and now explicitly links that position to a broader national digital strategy. The combination of regulated electricity access and mandatory asset contribution makes this model unique and could serve as an example for other resource-rich countries that want to use mining as an instrument for state wealth.