Malaysia uncovers $1 billion in power theft losses from illegal crypto mining

Malaysia's national utility, Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), has identified electricity theft losses exceeding $1.1 billion (4.57 billion ringgit) linked to illegal cryptocurrency mining operations over the past five years (2020 to August 2025). This was revealed in a parliamentary filing by the energy ministry, which noted that 13,827 premises were found to be illegally siphoning power for activities like Bitcoin mining. The ministry stressed that this activity poses a serious threat to the national electric supply system, public safety, and economic stability. In response, TNB has established an internal database of suspected property owners and tenants involved in theft and is deploying smart meters and a pilot program called "Distribution Transformer Meter" to better monitor energy usage and detect abnormal patterns.

(Source：The Block)