Libyan authorities intensify crackdown on cryptocurrency mining

According to The New Arab, Libyan authorities have intensified their crackdown on the cryptocurrency mining industry.

In November 2025, prosecutors charged 9 individuals operating Bitcoin mining equipment at a steel plant in Zliten, sentencing them to three years in prison and ordering the confiscation of their equipment and the recovery of illegal profits. Although the Central Bank of Libya banned cryptocurrency trading in 2018 due to concerns over money laundering and terrorist financing, such mining activities continue to persist. Legal expert Nadia Mohammed stated, "Libyan law does not explicitly define mining as a criminal act. Miners are usually brought to court not for the act of cryptocurrency mining itself, but often for a series of illegal activities that accompany it, such as illegal electricity use, importing prohibited equipment, or using the proceeds for money laundering and other illegal purposes. The Central Bank should issue licenses and authorizations to regulate this activity, rather than leaving it unchecked."