Norway passes new legislation related to data centers, and Bitcoin miners in the country will face stricter supervision

PANews reported on April 15 that according to Cointelegraph, Norway recently passed a new regulation related to data centers, a move that may subject Bitcoin miners in the country to more stringent supervision. The new regulations require all data centers in Norway to be officially registered and detailed information including the owner, responsible person and the type of digital services provided. Norway thus became the first country in Europe to implement such a regulatory framework.

Norwegian Energy Minister Terje Aasland said that the introduction of the new regulations aims to help politicians more comprehensively understand the operation of data centers within municipal limits and provide a strong basis for subsequent approval work. Minister Aasland emphasized: “The new regulations are designed to regulate the development of the industry. We will resolutely reject projects that do not meet Norway’s development requirements.”

As Bitcoin is about to usher in the halving event, miners' income will be halved, and profitability pressure will increase sharply. Norway’s new regulations will undoubtedly exacerbate the woes of Bitcoin miners. Minister Aasland further pointed out that Norway’s regulation of the cryptocurrency mining industry has always been relatively loose, but the large amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced by such operations is contrary to Norway’s environmental protection philosophy. “We do not welcome cryptocurrency mining companies that operate in Norway solely to obtain cheap energy,” he said.