May 27, 2021
Iran bans cryptocurrency mining for 4 months after blackouts
A visual representation of the digital cryptocurrency, Bitcoin.
Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
From the BBC World Service: Iran's President Hassan Rouhani told a cabinet meeting that the main cause of the blackouts was a drought that had affected hydroelectric power generation. But he also said that cryptocurrency mining, 85% of which is unlicensed, was draining more than 2 gigawatts from the grid each day.
The team
David Brancaccio
Host
Victoria Craig
Host, BBC
Stephen Ryan
Senior Producer, BBC
Jonathan Frewin
Producer, BBC
Daniel Shin
Producer
Jay Siebold
Technical Director
Brian Allison
Engineer
Meredith Garretson
Senior Producer
Erika Soderstrom
Producer
Rose Conlon
Producer
Alex Schroeder
Producer
