The record-breaking surge in Bitcoin price at the start of 2021 may result in the network consuming as much energy as all data centers globally, with an associated carbon footprint matching London’s footprint size.
While a lot has been written about the environmental impact that can be associated with the digital currency Bitcoin, finding a solution to the problem is far from easy.
Estimates have long suggested that Bitcoin mining is a dirty business, but it took a blackout in China’s Xinjiang province during the weekend of April 17-18 to confirm the appalling state of Bitcoin’s network.
This is the transcript of a recent interview with Sean Murphy and Gregg Betz, the founders of ImpactScope, a Swiss based social enterprise focused on helping crypto exchanges, mining pools and crypto enthusiasts offset their Bitcoin carbon footprints.
When the Bitcoin network launched back in 2009, it didn’t take long before cryptographer and Bitcoin pioneer Hal Finney infamously wondered “how to reduce CO2 emissions from a widespread Bitcoin implementation”. By adding a proof-of-work based consensus mechanism, Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto had embedded a requirement for the …
