Abu Dhabi Regulator Prohibits Cryptocurrency Mining on Farms, Threatens Fines Up to $2,700

The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority in the UAE has issued a new advisory prohibiting the use of farms for cryptocurrency mining. The advisory explicitly states that farms cannot be repurposed for cryptocurrency mining, which authorities consider a “misuse of the farm for purposes other than its intended use. Farmers caught engaging in such activities face fines of up to $2,722 (10,000 UAE dirhams). Despite this specific prohibition, the UAE has established itself as a supportive jurisdiction for Bitcoin mining. In 2023, data indicated that the UAE accounted for around 400 megawatts of Bitcoin mining capacity, representing 4% of the global hash rate.