Paraguay has reached a new milestone in the fight against illegal cryptocurrency mining, equaling the number of Bitcoin (BTC) mining rigs seized in Venezuela. According to Criptonoticias , Paraguayan authorities have seized more than 10,000 ASIC diggers from illegal operators this year.
So far, the National Energy Administration (ANDE) has conducted more than 70 raids on farms suspected of mining Bitcoin in Paraguay. This means that Paraguay is now keeping pace with the repression of another Latin American nation, Venezuela.
Caracas is cracking down on mining following a wide-ranging crackdown on government corruption. Paraguay, however, says its actions are aimed at stabilizing networks, many of which are in danger of becoming overloaded.
The media explained that as a result of the recent raid, the prosecutor’s office in Ciudad del Este ordered the seizure of 450 ASIC platforms. The platforms were not connected to the local power grid. Instead, they appear to have been located in a warehouse in the Hernandarias district of Alto Paraná.
ANDE stated that the warehouse was “a storage place for equipment and materials used for the operation of cryptocurrency farms.” The prosecutor’s office believes the equipment may have come “from another facility” in nearby Santa Mónica.
The case appears to be linked to a “failed” raid in the same area, during which miners allegedly emptied the illegal farm of ASIC platforms before the investigation began. Hernandarias appears to have become the center of BTC’s illegal mining activities. Paraguayan authorities have filed 20 criminal cases in the district this year .
Bitcoin mining has become a hot topic in Paraguay, which is famous for its abundance of hydropower. Some advocates say mining could greatly benefit Paraguay’s economy. The country currently gives away much of its surplus energy or sells it at reduced prices to neighboring countries.
A recently formed group of industry players has proposed new energy rates for miners, saying the move could “kill” the sector. The group added that it would likely hurt Paraguay’s standing in the international business community.
It said the death of the country’s BTC mining sector would cost the nation $1.5 billion and threaten “hundreds” of jobs.
