Iran bans cryptocurrency mining for four months as the weather – and election campaigns – start to heat up

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has declared a four-month moratorium on cryptocurrency mining, a practice the government has encouraged in the past. “The ban on the mining of cryptocurrencies is effective immediately until September 22 ... Some 85 per cent of the current mining in Iran is unlicensed,” Rouhani said, Reuters …

[lglethal]

Considering that President Rouhani (a moderate) cant run again due to maximum turn limits and that the Guardian Council has only allowed one well known candidate (a super hardliner) to run in the upcoming presidential election I doubt the ban has too much to do with election. There's a single moderate/reformist candidate who's basically an unknown, the rest of the candidates are other hardliner/conservative candidates, but who are all unknowns - cant have them stealing votes from the "chosen" hardliner candidate, can we know?

If it's anything to do with the Election, it would only be Rouhani trying to prevent more blackouts so that people dont get annoyed with the moderates currently in government, and start thinking that some how hardliners might magically fix their problems... rather than make them worse, which is definitely will happen.

Here's hoping the Iranian people vote for the unknown moderate candidate en masse, that would really pi$$ off the Hardliners! :)

[BrownishMonstr]

If the US was smart, they would have wanted to give Rouhani more leeway, to appease the Iranian population. That way they would keep voting for moderates instead of another jimmy jab for president. Perhaps one day the Supreme Leader role would no longer have existed.

Perhaps the US are smart and don't want Iran to progress.

[Nick Ryan]

Maybe the US don't want their primary world role of "sponsorship of terror groups" to be challenged?

In the past the US has supported, in many ways that are very definitely considered terrorism (hell, they even wrote the book on it) to try and further their own interests, to promote political parties that are more amenable to the US, maybe sometimes even to promote peace in an area(?). It's interesting seeing this all change due to the globality of media, even the influence of Hollywood and so on is greatly reduced these days.

However, it's very important to point out that when other nations do so then it's "interfering with 'democracy'" or so on, however when done by one's own nation then it's nothing more abnormal than business as usual and further one's nation's interests.

Better than shooting each other though.

[Pascal Monett]

Re: maybe sometimes even to promote peace in an area

Post WWII, the USA has never done anything to promote peace in an area.

Whatever it has done on the international scene was to promote the US-centric view of the world. If peace came about, it was a side effect.

[Nick Ryan]

Re: maybe sometimes even to promote peace in an area

There really should be a < sarcasm > tag... :)

[DS999]

If the US "gives Rouhani more leeway"

then the hardliners can use that as an excuse to vote for them instead, because why should Iranians want to vote with someone who the US is trying to help? I mean, based on Iranian history, anything the US wants for Iran is probably going to be seen as bad for Iran by many of their citizens.

[Pascal Monett]

"Electricity is one of the few things in Iran that's cheap, thanks to the nation's abundant fossil fuels contribution to the global climate crisis"

TFTFY

Thorium, Iran. Invest in Thorium. You can't make nukes out of it, and you'll have zero emissions, so everybody will stay calm and you'll stop being a major contributor.

[arachnoid2]

Just how to monitor the ban

Right so apart from making the hollow law just how in earnest would they expect to monitor misuse of electricity?

[Cuddles]

Re: Just how to monitor the ban

The same way they do now. All cryptomining in Iran already has to be licensed, so they know exactly who is doing and and where it's happening. All they need to do is check their list of miners (not minors) and make sure they're not using any electricity.

"Some 85 per cent of the current mining in Iran is unlicensed"

Oh. Well, now it's on double secret probation. I'm sure that will make a big difference.