What is Considered Mining? The Complete Guide

1. Legal Definitions

Under UNFC Standards, mining is defined as:
"The systematic extraction of mineral resources for economic utilization through surface or underground operations."

Key elements include:

• Commercial intent
• Resource depletion
• Licensed operations

Explore AIXO's compliance framework for legal operations.

2. Qualified Activities

Activities legally classified as mining:

• Extraction: Open-pit coal mining
• Processing: Ore refinement
• Recycling: E-waste metal recovery
• Exploration: Seismic surveys

3. Traditional vs Modern Mining

Traditional:
- Physical resource extraction
- Requires heavy machinery
Modern:
- Data mining (analyzing 2.5 quintillion bytes daily)
- Blockchain validation through PoW/PoS

4. Blockchain Mining Explained

Crypto mining qualifies as mining under EU's MiCA Regulation when:

• Validating transactions
• Creating new blocks
• Consuming >100kWh energy

See how AIXO reduces energy thresholds by 70%.

5. Non-Mining Activities

These don't qualify as mining:

• Agricultural digging
• Construction excavation
• Personal gem collection

6. Regulatory Compliance

Global requirements include:

• EPA permits for water usage
• ISO 14001 environmental certification
• Dodd-Frank conflict mineral reports

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