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Igor Runets, founder and CEO of BitRiver—Russia’s largest cryptocurrency mining infrastructure provider—has been placed under house arrest on charges of tax evasion, according to court documents from Moscow’s Zamoskvoretsky District Court and reports from Bloomberg, TASS, RBC, Kommersant, and other outlets on February 2, 2026.
Runets, 39, was reportedly detained on January 30 (Friday) and formally charged the following day (Saturday) with three counts under Part 1 of Article 199.2 of the Russian Criminal Code, related to the concealment of funds or property intended for tax collection. The allegations center on evading taxes through asset concealment tied to BitRiver’s operations, though specific amounts of unpaid taxes or concealed funds have not been publicly detailed. A Moscow court ordered house arrest on January 31, with his legal team having a brief window to appeal before full enforcement (potentially by February 4 unless overturned).
BitRiver, founded by Runets in 2017, operates 15 data centers with 533 MW capacity and over 175,000 servers, serving domestic and international mining clients. The company has faced prior challenges, including U.S. sanctions in 2022 over Russia’s Ukraine invasion, partner exits, operational reductions, and recent reports of a potential bankruptcy filing against its parent entity (Fox Group of Companies) in the Sverdlovsk Arbitration Court, amid executive turnover (around 80% resignations by late 2025).
No official company statement on the detention was widely reported in initial coverage, though sources indicate BitRiver continues normal operations while cooperating with authorities. The case underscores intensifying regulatory scrutiny of Russia’s crypto mining sector, where tax compliance and financial transparency remain key enforcement priorities amid global oversight of digital assets.
Analysts view the action as part of broader crackdowns on potential financial misconduct in crypto infrastructure, urging firms to prioritize robust reporting. Investors and partners are monitoring the legal proceedings, which could impact BitRiver’s stability and the wider Russian mining ecosystem.
