Oman unites miners under state control: national pool launched
Oman has taken a decisive step towards centralizing cryptocurrency mining. The country has officially launched a national mining pool, to which all licensed digital asset miners are required to connect. This decision, initiated by Oman's Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology in partnership with Frontier Technologies, changes the rules of the game for local operators.
Technology Platform and Initial Capacity
The infrastructure foundation for the project was provided by Enegix Global, which supplied both the technology platform and liquidity mechanisms. In the initial phase, the national pool plans to aggregate approximately 10 EH/s of hashrate — an impressive figure for the region, given Oman's relatively young status as a hub for cryptocurrency mining.
Billion-Dollar Infrastructure Investments
Since 2022, investments in mining and related data center infrastructure in the Salalah Free Economic Zone have exceeded the $700 million mark. Particularly noteworthy is the recently launched hydro-cooled facility worth $370 million — one of the most technologically advanced projects in the Middle East. These figures demonstrate that Oman is not merely following global trends but is purposefully building a vertically integrated ecosystem.
Expert Opinion
The strategy of forcibly consolidating miners into a state pool is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it provides the regulator with complete control over the industry and simplifies monitoring of compliance with regulations. On the other hand, it deprives market participants of flexibility and the ability to choose the most favorable conditions. In the long term, this approach could either strengthen Oman's position as a reliable jurisdiction for institutional investors or, conversely, deter independent operators accustomed to decentralization. Time will tell whether the state pool can offer competitive fees and transparent revenue distribution terms.