Malaysia Cracks Down on Illegal Bitcoin Mining, Targeting Billions Lost

Malaysian authorities are launching one of their most forceful campaigns to combat the theft of billions of dollars in electricity from the national grid by illegal Bitcoin mining operations. The crackdown follows the discovery that 14,000 clandestine farms have siphoned power from Tenaga Nasional (TNB) since 2020, resulting in significant strain on infrastructure and safety concerns. Authorities are deploying advanced methods to identify these illicit operations. Thermal-imaging drones pinpoint heat signatures from hidden mining sites, while handheld sensors detect irregular energy consumption patterns in residential and commercial areas.