Oman unites licensed miners: Launch of national pool marks a new stage in regulation
The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology of Oman, in collaboration with Frontier Technologies, has launched a national mining pool. All licensed cryptocurrency miners in the country are now required to connect to this structure. The technological platform and liquidity infrastructure were provided by Enegix Global.
This decision is a logical step within the framework of centralization and control over the digital asset mining industry in the region. In the first phase, the combined computing power of the pool will be approximately 10 EH/s. For comparison, this is comparable to the capacities of medium-sized industrial facilities in other jurisdictions. However, the key feature is mandatory participation, which places Oman among the countries with the strictest mining regulations.
Since 2022, investments in mining and data centers in the Salalah Free Zone have exceeded $700 million. Particularly notable is a $370 million hydro-cooled facility, one of the largest in the region. This reflects Oman's long-term strategy to attract capital into blockchain infrastructure, but with clear state control.
Expert Opinion
The creation of a national pool is a precedent that could be adopted by other countries in the Middle East and Asia. On the one hand, it increases operational transparency and reduces the risks of using mining in shadow schemes. On the other hand, it deprives miners of flexibility and the ability to choose the most profitable pools, which in volatile markets could reduce their margins. Oman is betting on stability and state control, sacrificing decentralization—a fundamental principle of the crypto industry.