The Zamoskvoretsky Court in Moscow orders BitRiver CEO Igor Runets to stay under house arrest due to tax evasion charges. Runets, founder of the Russian Bitcoin mining firm, faces three charges for allegedly hiding assets to evade taxes. The court documents show he was detained on Jan. 30 and put under house arrest on Jan. 31. Runets has a chance to appeal before the house arrest is enforced on Feb. 4.
BitRiver, founded in 2017, has become a major player in Russian Bitcoin mining, operating large data centers across Siberia and offering mining services. In 2024, Runets’ net worth was reported to be around $230 million.
BitRiver has encountered difficulties since facing US Treasury sanctions in 2022 amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict. In May 2023, major client SBI stopped using BitRiver’s infrastructure due to the conflict. Cost cuts and scaling back operations in late 2024 led to delayed salary payments. Lawsuits in early 2025 alleged BitRiver failed to deliver equipment after being paid by an electricity provider.

Read more at Cointelegraph: CEO Of BitRiver Reportedly On House Arrest Amid Tax Evasion Charges