Georgia Reports 13x Electricity Spike from Illegal Bitcoin Mining in Mestia

On 2026-06-02, Georgia announced plans to deploy real-time electricity meters across Mestia after illegal Bitcoin mining drove 2025 consumption to 133 million kWh—more than 13 times typical levels for similar areas. The move follows Russia’s earlier raid that seized roughly 10,000 units in the Ural region, where operators caused 1 billion rubles in damages. Officials estimate annual losses of $7.5–9.4 million and will use meter data to inspect and disconnect offending sites while preserving resident subsidies. The paired enforcement actions highlight rising regulatory pressure on unregulated mining across the region.