Energy


Videos

Renewable Crypto Mining in the Italian Alps

As part of CoinDesk’s Mining Week content, Regulatory Reporter for Europe Sandali Handagama explains how crypto mining firms like the Alps Blockchain are using renewable hydropower in the mountainous regions of Italy. Handagama addresses the broader narrative of eco-friendly mining and the debate in the European Parliament on proof-of-work.

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Will Belarus Lure Crypto Miners Amid Sanctions, Russia-Ukraine War?

Despite favorable business conditions, a country’s political environment can deter international capital. This piece is part of CoinDesk's Mining Week

Regional turmoil notwithstanding, President Alexander Lukashenko's government is committed to attracting crypto miners, lawyers in Minsk say. (Illustration: Yunha Lee)

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Revisiting Bitcoin’s Energy ‘Problem’ in the Face of ESG Investment Mandates

Critics of Bitcoin’s energy use should consider its relative carbon density rather than the absolute amount of energy used.

(Joshua Sortino/Unsplash)

Videos

Global Energy Price Jump Impact on Bitcoin Hashrate

“All About Bitcoin” Host Christine Lee presents data from Glassnode illustrating the difficulty of mining a bitcoin block, otherwise known as the hashrate, which dropped 0.35% on Thursday for the second time this month. Global electricity prices have risen alongside the continuation of Russia’s invasion into Ukraine, possibly leading certain miners to go offline.

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Opinion

From Pariah to Partner: Crypto's Climate Answers

There are signs that policymakers are beginning to recognize crypto's potential for balancing the grid and reducing greenhouse gas impacts.

(Rachel Sun/CoinDesk)

Videos

How Much Electricity Does Bitcoin Mining Actually Use?

Christine Lee presents data illustrating the environmental impact of the Bitcoin network, looking specifically at global energy consumption and regional carbon emissions. As regulators often target cryptocurrency ESG concerns, Lee highlights areas of the world where bitcoin mining uses emission-free electricity.

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Videos

The Debate on Whether or Not China’s Crypto Mining Ban Is Worsening Bitcoin’s Environmental Impact

A new study published in Joule claims that bitcoin’s environmental impact has worsened since China’s 2021 ban on cryptocurrency mining because miners moved their operations to countries with less renewable energy. “The Hash” dissects this report, comparing its findings with statistics from the Bitcoin Mining Council while also considering the human rights value of uncensorable money as seen in the Russia-Ukraine crisis.

Recent Videos

Markets

Bitcoin Latest Price Drop Suggests It’s Not ‘Digital Gold’ for Everyone

As geopolitical tensions rise, the cryptocurrency's price has fallen.

Bitcoin's price vs. gold, year-to-date returns. (CoinDesk Research, St. Louis Fed, Yahoo Finance)

Opinion

Bitcoin’s 'Energy Problem' Is Overblown

Yes, Bitcoin consumes a huge amount of electricity. But we must look at both its energy sources and its overall vision in order to fully understand the situation.

(Zdenek Machacek/Unsplash)

Policy

Crypto Advocates Push Back on Sweden’s Call for EU Mining Ban

Regulators are worried renewable energy will be channeled towards crypto mining instead of national grids as EU's energy crisis worsens

Europe at night (Constantine Johnny/Getty Images)