Uzbekistan Launches Crypto Mining Zone in Karakalpakstan

Uzbekistan has created a special crypto mining zone across Karakalpakstan under a presidential resolution signed on April 17, opening a supervised framework that lets approved mining companies sell mined digital assets on foreign platforms while keeping the proceeds inside the country’s banking system.

A presidential decree effective April 20 creates the “Besqala Mining Valley,” a special mining zone across the Republic of Karakalpakstan, where registered legal entities can carry out crypto mining, use a mix of power sources and apply for resident status through a new directorate under the republic’s Council of Ministers.

The framework gives miners in the zone the right to sell crypto assets obtained through mining on national crypto exchanges or foreign platforms, including through direct contracts, and to exchange them for other liquid crypto assets. Still, the opening comes with strict controls over how mining revenues move through the financial system, and proceeds from those sales must be transferred to bank accounts in Uzbekistan.

Tax breaks aim to lure miners

The decree also provides for a tax exemption through Jan. 1, 2035, while requiring them to pay a monthly fee equal to 1% of income from mining activity to the zone’s directorate. The resolution separately instructs officials to submit draft amendments to Uzbekistan’s tax code within two months.

The new decree adds to Uzbekistan’s recent use of special-zone incentives in Karakalpakstan to attract investment into a region that a 2025 United Nations Development Programme report described as having high poverty rates and limited industrial development.

The new framework also adjusts Uzbekistan’s earlier approach to crypto mining. In 2023, Uzbekistan’s National Agency for Perspective Projects (NAPP) issued a decree on licensing crypto mining operations, requiring firms to only use solar power to mine digital assets. 

The new decree allows a wider mix of power sources within the zone, including renewable, hydrogen and grid electricity, with higher tariffs applied for grid usage.

Related: Uzbekistan increases fees for crypto operations

Uzbekistan expands special-zone strategy to draw investment

The move also fits a broader investment strategy in Karakalpakstan. According to a Reuters report in November 2025, the government had established a separate tax-free zone for artificial intelligence and data center projects, offering discounted electricity and tax exemptions to draw foreign investors. 

Under the initiative, foreign firms investing $100 million or more get full tax and duty exemptions until 2040. According to the report, Uzbekistan expects to attract over $1 billion in foreign investment by 2030 from the AI special zone project. 

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