Libyan authorities intensify crackdown on cryptocurrency mining

PANews reported on December 19th that, according to The New Arab, Libyan authorities have intensified their crackdown on the cryptocurrency mining industry. In November 2025, prosecutors indicted nine people operating Bitcoin mining equipment at a steel plant in Zlitan, sentencing them to three years in prison and ordering the confiscation of their equipment and the recovery of illicit profits. Despite the Central Bank of Libya banning cryptocurrency transactions in 2018 due to concerns about money laundering and terrorist financing, such mining activities have continued.

Legal expert Nadia Mohammed stated, "Libyan law does not explicitly criminalize cryptocurrency mining. Miners are often brought to court not for the act of mining itself, but for the series of illegal activities that often accompany it, such as illegal use of electricity, importing prohibited equipment, or using the proceeds for illegal purposes such as money laundering. The central bank should issue licenses and authorizations to regulate this activity, rather than leaving it unchecked."