Igor Runets, founder and CEO of Russian Bitcoin mining giant BitRiver, has reportedly been detained by authorities and charged with multiple counts of tax evasion, according to local media reports.
Igor Runets, founder and CEO of Russian Bitcoin miner BitRiver, has reportedly been detained and charged with tax evasion.
Documents show he was arrested Jan 30 and placed under house arrest, which will take full effect from Feb 4 unless a successful appeal is filed.#BitRiver,… pic.twitter.com/zl4waZgF6r
— AVOLA (@Avolaofficial) February 2, 2026
Russian outlets RBK and Kommersant reported on Sunday that Runets was detained on Friday and formally charged a day later for allegedly concealing assets to avoid paying taxes. Court documents cited by the reports show that Moscow’s Zamoskvoretsky Court ordered Runets to be placed under house arrest on Saturday.
Runets’ legal team has until Wednesday to appeal the ruling. If the appeal fails or is not filed, he will remain under house arrest for the duration of the investigation.
Founded in 2017, BitRiver grew into one of Russia’s largest Bitcoin mining firms, operating energy-intensive data centres across Siberia and offering mining infrastructure to third-party companies. Bloomberg estimated Runets’ net worth at about $230 million in late 2024, largely tied to his crypto mining ventures.
Sanctions and client losses weigh on BitRiver
BitRiver’s troubles did not begin with the latest charges. The company was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department in mid-2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, restricting its access to international markets and partners.
In May 2023, Japanese banking group SBI exited its Bitcoin mining operations with BitRiver after pulling out of Russia. The loss of major clients reportedly added pressure to the firm’s finances.
Lawsuits and internal struggles deepen problems
Kommersant also reported that BitRiver began cutting costs and scaling back operations toward the end of 2024, alongside delays in employee salary payments.
In early 2025, the company faced two lawsuits from electricity supplier Infrastructure of Siberia, which alleged it paid BitRiver for equipment that was never delivered, further complicating the firm’s legal and financial position.
In 2024, a Kremlin official cautioned that Russia could face an energy shortage within the next 5 to 10 years due to the rapid growth of crypto mining.
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