Oman unites miners: national pool becomes mandatory for licensed miners
Oman is taking a decisive step toward centralizing cryptocurrency mining: the Ministry of Transport, Communications, and Information Technology, together with Frontier Technologies, has launched a national mining pool. All licensed cryptocurrency miners in the country are required to connect to it. Enegix Global provided the technological platform and liquidity infrastructure, ensuring transparent settlements and access to global markets.
At the initial stage, the pool will consolidate approximately 10 EH/s of hashrate, comparable to the capacity of medium-sized private pools. However, the key factor is not volume but control: the state gains the ability to monitor and regulate flows of computational power, reducing the risks of gray mining and increasing investor confidence.
$700 million investment fund
Since 2022, investments in mining and data centers in the Salalah Free Zone have exceeded $700 million. The most notable project is a $370 million hydro-cooled facility—such systems significantly reduce energy consumption and heat dissipation, which is critical for Oman's hot climate.
This step is not just an administrative measure but a strategic move within the Sultanate's economic diversification efforts. Oman aims to carve out a niche in the global mining industry, leveraging cheap electricity and a favorable geographic location. However, mandatory pool membership may deter some major players who value decentralization and independence.
My expert assessment: Oman is following the path of Kazakhstan and Iran, where state control over mining led to a temporary boom but then to strict regulation and hashrate outflow. If the pool offers competitive fees and stable payouts, it will become a magnet for institutional investors. If fiscal control becomes the priority, miners will go underground or relocate to neighboring jurisdictions.