Kazakhstan Plans Crypto Reserve Powered by Its Bitcoin Miners

Kazakhstan announced a new plan to create a national crypto reserve that will be filled by its own bitcoin miners. A presidential order signed on July 7 set the stage, and a government resolution on July 18 gave the details.

The plan calls a program called strategic digital mining. Miners will get cheap electricity for ten years from approved power plants. In return they must hand over about ten percent of what they mine, after paying for the power they use. The coins go to a state fund that the National Bank’s investment arm will manage for the reserve.

Kazakhstan is already a top five mining country, thanks to cheap coal power. The first power source for the program is the Ekibastuz GRES-1 plant, which can supply 300 megawatts. To join, a miner needs a data center of at least 150 megawatts and rigs that reach 150 terahashes per second. The decree also creates a digital assets committee, allows stablecoins for trade, plans tokenized government bonds by 2026, and gives tax breaks for crypto gains from 2026 to 2028.

The reserve will not just hold coins; it can invest in crypto derivatives and shares of crypto firms, spreading the state’s risk. This mirrors the US strategic bitcoin reserve created from seized coins. A new analysis center will watch transactions and flag illegal activity by 2027.