Malaysia Loses $1.11B to Illegal Crypto Mining Spanning 13,827 Sites
Malaysia's National Utility, Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB), is facing a huge hit to its bottom line - a whopping $1.11 billion...
Quick overview
- Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) is facing $1.11 billion in losses due to unauthorized power theft by crypto miners since 2020.
- The Ministry of Energy and Water Transformation reported that 13,827 premises have been illegally tapping into the power grid, primarily for Bitcoin mining.
- In response, TNB has seized over 2,020 mining rigs and is collaborating with law enforcement to combat electricity theft.
- TNB is implementing smart monitoring systems to detect suspicious activity and ensure compliance among legitimate miners.
Malaysia’s National Utility, Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB), is facing a huge hit to its bottom line – a whopping $1.11 billion (4.6 billion ringgit) in losses, as of August 2025 – courtesy of crafty crypto miners who have been siphoning power off the grid since 2020. The Ministry of Energy and Water Transformation confirmed that 13,827 premises had been found tapping into the system without permission, with 90% of this power being diverted to Bitcoin mining.
This thievery has been getting worse: back in 2024, the authorities had a good look at the trend and concluded that crypto miners had been nicking around $727 million worth of power between 2018 and 2023. And often, these sneaky operations involved either tampering with their meters or just plain bypassing the system altogether, which not just breaks the law, but also Malaysia’s Electricity Supply Act.
💥BREAKING
MALAYSIA REPORTS OVER $1.1 BILLION IN POWER LOSSES FROM 13,827 ILLEGAL CRYPTO MINING SITES SINCE 2020
MINERS LITERALLY UNPLUGGED THE GRID TO STACK COINS 💀 pic.twitter.com/dntdWjOcjr
— DustyBC Crypto (@TheDustyBC) November 19, 2025
The War on Electricity Theft
The authorities have had enough of this nonsense and have stepped up enforcement to get a handle on the situation :
- They’ve seized and destroyed over 2,020 rigs and other mining gear, including a bunch of dodgy, uncertified Bitcoin rigs.
- TNB is working closely with the police, communications regulators, and anti-graft agencies to ensure they’ve got this one covered.
- They’re also setting up a database to track and record all those suspected of electricity theft.
According to Reuters, TNB has taken the lead on this by targeting high-risk areas and sending in inspectors to take a closer look. But this is part of a bigger push to keep crypto miners in check while still ensuring that honest, legitimate miners can do their thing without issues.
Keeping an Eye on Things
To keep things from getting out of hand and eating into their profits, TNB is also rolling out smart monitoring systems to keep an eye on things:
Malaysia recorded more than $1.1B in power losses as 13,827 illegal crypto-mining sites were caught bypassing electricity meters since 2020. 👀 pic.twitter.com/mbnetawDWC
— Crypto Crib (@Crypto_Crib_) November 19, 2025
- They’re installing smart meters at substations to monitor what’s happening in real time.
- They’re tracking energy patterns and looking for any signs of meter tampering or other suspicious activity.
- And they’ve got a database to help guide their inspectors and aid the law in catching those who break the rules.
In a nutshell, Malaysia’s crackdown on crypto mining shows that it’s not just the country’s own issue – it’s a global problem that needs sorting out. Governments around the world need to strike a balance between allowing the crypto-mining industry to grow and keeping the lights on. It’s not just a national grid issue, but also a financial one.
Malaysia’s approach shows that by working together, using tech and getting all the right agencies on the same team, you can hammer down on your losses from illegal mining and make sure that the good guys – the compliant miners – can keep on keeping on.
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