Bitcoin may soon consume more power than Australia — almost 10 times more than Google, Microsoft and Facebook combined
ABC Business
4 days ago
By Ben Deacon
Bitcoin has a climate problem.
The cryptocurrency uses huge quantities of electricity and as the price of a single Bitcoin has skyrocketed beyond $50,000, Bitcoin miners are now producing as much carbon pollution as a medium-sized nation.
"Bitcoin uses more electricity per transaction than any other method known to mankind," said Microsoft founder Bill Gates, when he on social media platform Clubhouse.
"It's not a great climate thing."
Bitcoin may soon be consuming over 200 terrawatt hours (TWh) of electricity, according to by data scientist Alex de Vries in the journal Joule.