On February 1, 2026, Igor Runets, founder and CEO of BitRiver, Russia’s largest Bitcoin mining firm, was detained in Moscow and charged with multiple counts of tax evasion, per Cointelegraph and local reports from RBK and Kommersant. The Zamoskvoretsky Court placed Runets under house arrest on February 1, with the order enforceable from February 5 unless appealed, per court documents. Runets faces three charges for allegedly concealing assets to avoid taxes, with his legal team having a narrow window to challenge the ruling.
BitRiver, founded in 2017, operates massive Bitcoin mining data centers in Siberia, serving global clients with an estimated $230 million net worth for Runets as of late 2024, per Bloomberg. The firm has faced mounting pressure since U.S. Treasury sanctions in April 2022 over the Russia-Ukraine conflict, per OFAC. In May 2023, major client SBI Holdings withdrew, and by late 2024, BitRiver implemented cost cuts and delayed salaries, per Kommersant. Early 2025 brought lawsuits from Infrastructure of Siberia over unpaid equipment contracts.
The arrest highlights risks for Russian Bitcoin miners amid economic sanctions and domestic scrutiny. Russia legalized crypto mining in 2024 but imposed strict energy regulations, per. BitRiver’s troubles, including $340M in alleged losses from related scams like Forsage, underscore sector vulnerabilities, per DOJ filings. X posts from @CryptoRussia note fears of increased tax audits on miners, per. BTC trades at $113,234, unaffected short-term, but Russian mining’s 10% global hashrate could face disruptions, according to the Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index.
Runets’ case may delay BitRiver’s operations, with house arrest limiting leadership, per. Investors should monitor Russian crypto policy via kremlin.ru, and BTC flows on CryptoQuant. BTC support holds at $112,000, with potential $120,000 recovery on Jackson Hole dovishness, per Techopedia. Diversify into USDC or ETH ($4,070) to hedge geopolitical risks, per TradingView. Follow @TheBlock__ on X for updates. BitRiver’s woes signal caution for mining stocks, but global hashrate resilience suggests limited long-term impact.
