Bitcoin, a type of cryptocurrency Illustration: VCG

The Development and Reform Commission of Bayannur City in North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region recently discovered and seized 10,100 illegal cryptocurrency mining devices, Xinhua News Agency reported on Tuesday. 

The raft of illicit cryptocurrency mining machines was found in a warehouse of a local industrial park, mainly decommissioned retired mining devices from other provinces. The power consumption of the confiscated equipment is estimated to be 1,104 kilowatt-hours.

Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has tightened the regulation targeting local mining of cryptocurrency. The Development and Reform Commission of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region published detailed penalization rules of illicit mining acts including set-up of special report platforms.

Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region shut down 45 cryptocurrency mining projects in the region so far, freeing up 6.58 billion kilowatt-hours in power supply, equal to the power generated by 2 million tons of coal in theory, according to Xinhua News Agency. 

Global Times