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Tim Alper

Author

Tim Alper

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Tim Alper is a British journalist and features writer who has worked at Cryptonews.com since 2018. He has written for media outlets such as the BBC, the Guardian, and Chosun Ilbo. He has also worked…

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July 10, 2025

The Russian government is poised to ban domestic data processing centers from mining crypto if they use subsidized power.

The Russian media outlet RBC reported that the government has revamped a draft law on mining that passed a first reading in the State Duma back in 2022.

Government officials are now working with lawmakers on a bid to refine the bill ahead of a second reading.

Mining Crypto Soon to Be Off-limits in Many Russian Data Centers

The bill proposes asking data processing centers to sign up to a registry curated by the Ministry of Digital Development and Communications.

This process will involve operators pledging not to mine crypto at their centers. Only operators who make these pledges will be allowed to receive electricity at preferential rates.

The bill’s architects say its goal is to prevent miners from being able to claim benefits when paying for electricity.

These benefits will only be provided only to data centers that have been formally recognized as “communication facilities.”

Russian electricity firms provide subsidized power to residential users, as well as industrial sector and commercial firms.

But in recent months, lawmakers have called for power companies to roll out special unsubsidized rates for crypto mining companies.

Membership of the registry will be entirely voluntary, the bill’s authors added. However, all firms that join the registry will be barred from even housing crypto mining rigs, even if these are not connected to the internet.

Industrial Miners Say They’re Ready to Comply

Russian crypto mining experts said the bill has not taken them by surprise. RBC quoted the Intelion Director-General Artem Shchepinov as stating that he anticipated the measure.

Shchepinov added that it would help solidify Russia’s technological sovereignty and strengthening regulated its digital infrastructure.

Others, however, complained that Moscow has not asked the private sector for input before formulating the bill.

A blockchain expert was quoted as saying that the new law could have a detrimental impact on both the industrial crypto mining industry and the conventional data center industry.

But a data center operator claimed the move would do little to dent the capabilities of major industrial miners.

These centers are “self-sufficient and sustainable,” he said, and “do not require government support.”

Dual-use Facilities

However, many major industrial miners operate dual-use centers. These facilities can house both mining and more conventional IT resources.

Shchepinov appeared to suggest that his company has already begun preparing for the change. He gave the example of Intelion’s facilities in the Samara Oblast.

The executive explained that Intelion has already divided this facility into “two clusters that provide crypto mining and AI computing in parallel.”

In May, industry figures revealed that Intelion and BitRiver’s combined revenues for the financial year 2024 hit the $200 million mark.

Around 90% of Russian industrial miners focus their efforts on Bitcoin (BTC), most experts in the nation agree.

However, a significant number of home-based miners in the nation prefer to miner Ethereum (ETH), crypto enthusiasts have told Cryptonews.com.

The CEO of investment firm Pantera Capital says the current value of the crypto market is currently a massive buying opportunity.

In a presentation at the TOKEN2049 crypto conference in Dubai, Dan Morehead says that digital assets like Bitcoin (BTC) will likely remain bullish amid pro-crypto regulatory changes under US President Donald Trump.

“If right before the US election a genie showed you a crystal ball and said that a pro-crypto candidate would win, the pro-crypto party would be in charge of the House and Senate, 54 anti-crypto people would be out of Congress, there’d be executive orders with Bitcoin strategic reserve, all kinds of things like this happening, and you said that the market would be only up 35%, they would say you were crazy.

So although people are kind of freaking out about the markets right now, I think it’s unbelievably cheap. The way I think about it is, our Bitcoin fund has a 13-year compound annual growth rate of 85%, so being up 35% over three or four months, it’s just kind of normal, like it’s not even up. So we’re still very, very bullish on the markets. Bunch of great policy things are happening.”

Morehead also says that traditional assets like stocks are likely overvalued and present a higher investment risk, whereas Bitcoin is likely to continue to outperform the S&P 500.

The investor notes that Bitcoin is up 50% in value compared to one year ago, while the SPX is up just 8% during the same time period.

“Stocks and bonds are super expensive to their long-term average, and that doesn’t even count weird things like tariffs and the impact of lower growth, higher inflation. So if you’re looking for a place to invest, the old school assets really do seem scary from an equity risk premium standpoint, either bond yields have to go up 75 basis points, or stocks have to come down quite a bit.

Blockchain is the safest place to hide, and you’re already seeing that. This is the change in the price of Bitcoin, gold and then the top 25 cryptocurrencies market cap weighted since a year ago (see chart below). It’s the only place to hide in an admittedly confusing world.”

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Buying low and selling high is what investing comes down to. Often, however, investors get spooked when prices are low and avoid struggling stocks, thinking that they are destined to go even lower. But when it comes to quality businesses, you should relish the opportunity to buy stocks when their prices are low as it can mean great returns later on.

Three stocks that are struggling today are Alphabet (GOOG 3.46%) (GOOGL 3.64%), Merck (MRK -2.14%), and Block (XYZ 0.38%). These stocks are trading near their 52-week lows. However, that shouldn’t deter you from buying them. Here’s why they can be fantastic investments to load up on right now.

Image source: Getty Images.

Alphabet

Shares of Alphabet have been sinking amid worries that a breakup of the company may be inevitable due to antitrust issues. Shares of Alphabet are down 16% since the start of the year, and the stock was 10% away from its 52-week low of $142.66.

It’s trading at just 17.8 times its trailing earnings, which is modest compared to the average stock on the S&P 500, where the average price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple is nearly 23.

Alphabet is trading at a discount given the uncertainty around its future, but I don’t believe the risk is significant enough to dissuade investors from owning it. A breakup of the business might even unlock value for investors in the long run. And while artificial intelligence may be changing the world of tech, Alphabet is at the forefront of that with its Gemini chatbot.

This is still a massive company that generated $112 billion in earnings over the trailing 12 months. And with high-powered assets such as Google Search and YouTube, it still looks like a fantastic long-term buy.

Merck

Pharma company Merck has been performing a bit worse than Alphabet this year with its shares down 22%. It hit a new 52-week low last week as investors grow concerned about the tariff risk facing the company.

Last month, the company released its first-quarter numbers, which showed a 2% decline in sales for the first three months of the year, with the top line coming in at $15.5 billion. But on top of the troubling top-line performance, Merck also said that it anticipated $200 million in costs as a result of tariffs this year. China is an important market for Merck, putting pressure on the stock recently as China has been hit heavily with tariffs. But the situation is also volatile. On Monday, the U.S. and China both agreed to significantly reduce tariff rates for the next 90 days.

If you’re a long-term investor, however, you shouldn’t worry too much about tariffs because in the grand scheme of things that is likely to be a temporary problem. With Merck stock trading at a P/E ratio of only 11.7, investors are well compensated for the risk and uncertainty that comes with the company. There’s a good margin of safety for investors who are worried about the tariff risk and the growth challenges Merck is encountering.

And the business may not be facing the considerable risks that its discounted valuation may suggest. The company is looking to develop a GLP-1 weight loss drug and is launching a new version of its popular cancer drug, Keytruda, in an effort to offset possible declines in revenue due to a loss of patent protection in the future. There’s reason to remain bullish on Merck’s growth prospects in the long run. And at a discounted price, the stock could be a steal of a deal.

Block

The most beaten-down stock on this list is Block. The fintech crypto stock declined by 34% this year. The company recently reported underwhelming earnings numbers, which sent its shares into even more of a tailspin.

Amid a downturn in the economy, including a potential recession, Block could face some challenges. But in the long run, it can still be in an excellent position to grow. Its point-of-sale devices enable merchants to easily accept credit card payments while its Cash App makes it easy for individuals to transfer money and Bitcoin.

The company has been bullish on Bitcoin and that is now a big part of its business, with Bitcoin-related revenue representing 40% of its top line. The downside is that this can introduce a lot of volatility to its bottom line. In the company’s first-quarter earnings, which ended on March 31, Block incurred a $93 million remeasurement loss related to Bitcoin. That line item weighed on its profits, but if you look at the company’s operating profit of $329 million, which came before that figure, then its earnings rose by 32%.

While there is some near-term risk related to macroeconomic conditions, Block still looks like a strong buy given its modest P/E multiple of 12. And even when factoring in its expected earnings (based on analyst estimates), its forward P/E is still less than 14. For buy-and-hold investors, this can be a solid stock to load up on right now as it should grow along with the economy.

If you want to unblock regional content on streaming services like Netflix, iPlayer, and Prime, or access websites that aren’t available in your region, a VPN is an essential tool. A good VPN will work with all your Apple devices, including a Mac, iPad, iPhone, and even an Apple TV in some cases.

VPN services can also give you online privacy as well as letting you securely connect to open Wi-Fi networks in cafes, hotels, airports and other places. It’s something well worth packing when you go on vacation.

VPNs tend to have complex pricing structures, with long-term contract pricing and offers that seem to offer huge discounts, making identifying a good deal more complex than it is with other types of software. We have tested the Best Mac VPNs (and Best VPN for iPad and Best VPN for iPhone) and we use them daily, so we know which ones offer the best features and we know which ones offer the best value for money.

In this article we will help you find the cheapest VPN to suit your needs. Every month we assess the best VPN for Mac deals so we can keep an eye out for the best discounts on offer right now and let you know the latest prices and best deals so you can find the VPN that suites you at the best price.

Before we share the best VPN deals you may be hoping that you can get a VPN for free…

Best free VPN

There are a few free VPNs on offer but our advice is usually to be very cautious about them. Companies that give stuff away will be making money somehow, and you can’t be sure they aren’t selling your data.

One decent VPN that does offer a free tier is Proton VPN (read our review). You can use Proton VPN for nothing, as long as you’re happy with U.S., Japan, and Netherlands as your server locations. It’s also limiting in that you can only connect a single device, and speeds are slower than the paid plans, but the free version is available on all platforms and if you like it you can always subscribe to get the whole package which will unblock a host of features, including an ad and tracker blocker and improved speed of up to 10 Gbit, as well as an expanded 10-device limit. There’s Port Forwarding for downloads and gaming, too, as well as a Kill Switch for disconnecting should the VPN drop out.

Best VPN deals and cheap VPNs

VPN providers tend to offer year-round discounts, however with most deals you will be locked into a monthly fee for a couple of years, so we recommend setting a reminder in your calendar to cancel and look for a new deal to replace the one you had at the end of the contract period. Deals change all the time.

The deals below save a significant amount compared to paying for each of these services on a rolling monthly subscription. We some great VPN deals for shoppers in the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia below.

One deal to take a look at is FastestVPN’s Lifetime plan – which with 93% off is an absolute bargain as you pay once and have access to the VPN for life. It’s a one-off $40 (approx £33). The company says that the full price would be $600.

Read How to use a VPN on a Mac for more information, and if you still aren’t sure why you need a VPN read: Should I use a VPN on my Mac/iPhone?

1. NordVPN

Pros

• Incredibly easy to use
• Plenty of server options

Price When Reviewed:

Basic plan from $3.09 a month for two years. Usually $12.99.

NordVPN is a fully featured VPN option that’s secure, easy to use, and unbelievably fast compared to its competitors.

Prices change all the time. NordVPN’s Basic plan is currently $2.99/£2.59/CA$4.69/A$ a month for 2 years.

Read our full

NordVPN review

2. Surfshark

Pros

• Simple to use
• No device limits

Price When Reviewed:

Starter plan from $1.99 a month for two years + 3 free months. Usually $15.45 a month.

SurfShark is a great VPN option that’s as easy to use as the best of them, while maintaining security across an unlimited number of devices – something we don’t see often.

Right now Surfshark’s Starter plan is $1.99/£1.69 a month for 2 years + 3 free months.

Read our full

Surfshark review

3. Private Internet Access

Pros

• Lots of power features
• Privacy-minded
• Great value

Price When Reviewed:

From $2.19 a month for two years + 4 free months. Usually $11.99 a month. Unlimited devices.

Private Internet Access (PIA) offers a robust feature set that makes it one of the more impressive VPNs out there.

Right now PIA Has a deal that means you pay $2.03/£1.69 a month for two years and get two months free.

Read our full

Private Internet Access review

4. CyberGhost

Pros

• Simple to use
• Decent speeds
• Plenty of servers

Price When Reviewed:

$2.19 a month for two years + 2 free months. Usually $12.99 a month.

CyberGhost takes a lot of the complexity out of VPN usage, for better and for worse. On the one hand, some users may want more power-user features.

At the moment you can get 82% off at Cyberghost. This is $2.19/£1.92 a month for 2 years with 2 free months. It’s fully refundable for 45 days, according to the company.

Read our full

CyberGhost review

5. hide.me VPN

Pros

• Dedicated streaming servers
• Impressive free tier

Price When Reviewed:

From $2.69 a month

Hide.me is a solid VPN with a great free tier, but the UI isn’t particularly intuitive.

Hide.me’s deal means you pay $3.84/£3.84 a month for 26 months.

Read our full

hide.me VPN review

6. ProtonVPN

Pros

• Simple to use
• Free plan
• Great speed

Cons

• Setup on macOS was a little fiddly
• Only sells in $, € and Swiss Franks

Price When Reviewed:

From $2.99 a month for two years. Usually $9.99 a month.

Proton VPN’s free tier, ease of use, and impressive speeds put it right near the top of our VPN recommendations.

There is a free tier of Proton VPN, but if you want a bit more flexibility and a few more features prices start at $4.49/€4.49 a month for two years. Usually $9.99/€9.99 a month. The Swiss-based company doesn’t seem to like pounds, so it’s dollars or euros, unfortunately.

Read our full

ProtonVPN review

How to find the best VPN deal for Mac

VPN subscriptions typically work out cheaper if you commit for a year or longer, which saves a lot of money. Prices rarely exceed $6/£6 per month with multi-year subscriptions and are often closer to $2/£2… or even less.

Many major VPN providers offer discounts through the year, and sometimes even offer permanent discounts. These discounts can look impressive at first. It’s not uncommon to see a countdown timer telling you when the deal ends – but these are almost always to induce FOMO – the fear of missing out – in order to persuade you to sign up immediately.

Large discounts are par for the course with VPN services, especially when you’re subscribing for several years. This makes it all the more important to look into the various providers and what each has to offer, before jumping into a long-term commitment.

All VPNs we’ve tested offer cross-device coverage too, so you can use them on your Mac, iPhone, iPad and more.

For our recommendations of Mac Antivirus Software that we have tested see: Best Antivirus for Mac Top Security Software Compared.

Micron Technology (MU -0.77%) is having a woeful April as shares of the memory specialist have dropped 20% so far this month, and the tariff-fueled turmoil has a lot to do with the stock’s recent pullback. Reports suggest that Micron could increase the prices of its memory products amid the ongoing tariff war. That’s because Micron has a global manufacturing footprint, including factories in the U.S., Japan, Taiwan, and China.

However, semiconductors have been exempted from tariffs by both the U.S. and China (at least so far). Additionally, the Trump administration has put a 90-day pause on imposing reciprocal tariffs on most of its trade partners who would have otherwise been subjected to higher tariff rates. Also, the administration has exempted imports of memory chips and hard drives from China.

As such, Micron may not need to raise the prices of its offerings, a move that may have hurt the demand since its customers would have had to contend with increased costs. What’s more, Micron’s memory products are witnessing such strong demand that the company is finding it difficult to produce enough of them. This was evident from the company’s impressive numbers in the previous quarter, as well as its bright outlook for the current one.

Let’s take a closer look at the reasons why buying Micron stock following its latest pullback seems like a smart thing to do.

Micron is too cheap to ignore right now

For a company that delivered a 38% year-over-year increase in revenue in the previous quarter, along with a 3.7x jump in earnings, Micron’s valuation makes it worth buying hand over fist right away. The company is trading at less than 17 times trailing earnings. Its forward earnings multiple of 10 is even cheaper.

The tech-laden Nasdaq-100 index, meanwhile, has a trailing price-to-earnings ratio of 27 and forward earnings multiple of 23. Micron, therefore, is significantly cheaper right now, considering the phenomenal growth that it has been delivering in recent quarters.

MU Revenue (TTM) data by YCharts

Even better, Micron is incredibly cheap when we take its potential earnings growth into account. The stock has a price/earnings-to-growth ratio (PEG ratio) of just 0.15 based on the projected earnings growth it could deliver over the next five years, according to Yahoo! Finance. The PEG ratio is calculated by taking a company’s future earnings growth potential into account, and a reading of less than 1 indicates that a stock is undervalued.

So, Micron’s PEG ratio suggests that it is very cheap, considering the expected growth it could clock over the next five years, driven by the deployment of AI infrastructure and devices capable of running AI workloads.

AI proliferation is set to drive healthy growth in memory demand

Micron is benefiting from the fast-growing demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips used in graphics processing units (GPUs) to run artificial intelligence (AI) workloads in data centers. The company’s data center revenue tripled year over year, with HBM alone accounting for a record $1 billion in quarterly revenue.

Micron says that its HBM shipments exceeded expectations. What’s more, the company has sold its entire HBM capacity for 2025, and it is currently “focused on growing HBM capacity in our existing manufacturing facilities to meet requirements through 2026.” Another factor worth noting here is that Micron has raised its total addressable market (TAM) estimate for HBM to $35 billion for 2025.

That figure is likely to head higher in the long run, with one third-party estimate putting the size of the HBM market at almost $86 billion in 2030. So, Micron’s data center business still has a lot of room for growth in the long run on the back of solid HBM demand. But this isn’t where the company’s AI-related catalysts end.

Micron’s memory products are also used in smartphones and personal computers (PCs). The usage of memory in both these applications is rising thanks to AI. Specifically, Micron says that the dynamic random access memory (DRAM) content in AI-enabled PCs is a third more than the average content used in PCs last year. Meanwhile, flagship AI smartphones are using 50% more DRAM than the 8 gigabytes (GB) of DRAM seen in 2024 models.

It is worth noting that the shipments of both AI-capable smartphones and PCs are expected to jump at an annual pace of almost 35% through 2029. This could pave the way for stronger growth in Micron’s memory shipments in the long run, complementing the healthy growth in the company’s data center business.

As such, Micron Technology’s prospects seem robust, and the semiconductor stock’s valuation means that investors can buy it at very attractive levels right now, and they may not want to miss this opportunity since the company’s outstanding growth could help it overcome its recent slump and fly higher in the long run.

Honeywell International (HON 0.78%) has exposure to a lot of high-growth areas, but you wouldn’t know it from the share price. The company today trades at 24 times earnings, about the same valuation as 2020 and 30% below the company’s multiple in 2021. The stock has been largely flat during that time.

Management is aware of the disconnect, and has big plans to address it.

What’s wrong at Honeywell?

Honeywell is a conglomerate focused on manufacturing highly engineered components for high-growth industrial end markets. But the business has been stuck in neutral. In February, Honeywell guided for first-quarter and full-year earnings significantly below Wall Street expectations.

Critics, including activist Elliott Management, have concluded Honeywell suffers from a so-called “conglomerate discount.” The fear is that with Honeywell’s different businesses obscured under one holding company, investors don’t appreciate the strengths of each individual unit. That, in turn, causes the market to undervalue the stock.

Honeywell’s plan to fix its flailing stock price

In February, Honeywell said it would split into three independent companies focused on advanced materials, automation, and aerospace.

As independents, the hope is the units will not have to compete for capital and other resources. And each business will be free to pursue mergers and pay dividends based on the norms of their industries.

“The distinct investment profile of each company and an improved ability to customize capital allocation strategy will unleash the full potential of each company’s strong balance sheet, creating the best path forward for an enhanced commercial success, faster-paced technological innovation, and increased customer intimacy,” CEO Vimal M. Kapur told investors.

It’s worth noting that Honeywell has tried this before, with uninspiring results. The 2018 spinoffs of Resideo Technologies and Garrett Motion have underperformed, along with Honeywell.

Stock data by YCharts

There’s a key difference between then and now: Back in 2018, Honeywell shed underperforming units to focus on growth-focused businesses. If the planned breakup clears the fog around Honeywell and allows investors to focus on the strength of the individual businesses, today’s buyers could be rewarded in the years to come.