**Iran Offers Bounty for Reporting Illegal Crypto Miners Amid Power Crisis**

Iran is tackling its power shortages by offering citizens up to $24 for reporting unauthorized crypto mining operations. Amid a severe heatwave, temperatures have soared to 113°F (45°C), straining the country's power grid.

- Tavanir CEO Mostafa Rajabi Mashhadi announced the bounty, highlighting that illegal crypto miners exploit subsidized electricity, causing abnormal power consumption.

- Authorities have discovered 230,000 illegal mining rigs, consuming power equivalent to a province with 1.4 million residents.

- Many of these operations run out of schools and mosques, benefiting from free or subsidized electricity.

Crypto mining, particularly Bitcoin, is energy-intensive, and Iran isn't the only country facing issues. Venezuela recently banned crypto mining to protect its power grid.