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Malaysia Says Illegal Crypto Mining Cost TNB RM4.6 Billion Since 2020

Officials detailed coordinated raids with equipment seizures to curb power theft tied to bitcoin farms, alongside new grid monitoring.

Overview

  • A parliamentary reply put cumulative losses at RM4.6 billion (about US$1.11 billion) from 2020 through August 2025.
  • Tenaga Nasional identified 13,827 premises that illegally used electricity for cryptocurrency mining during the period.
  • Joint operations with police, the communications regulator and anti-graft authorities led to seizures of bitcoin mining machines.
  • TNB created an internal database of suspected owners and tenants and is installing smart meters at substations to detect tampering in real time.
  • Cryptocurrency mining lacks a specific licensing regime, so cases are pursued under the Electricity Supply Act for meter tampering and bypasses, with police reporting recent arrests in the clampdown.