Bitcoin mining is a way people can acquire cryptocurrency without buying it. Miners use supercomputers to solve a complex series of mathematical equations in order to create new bitcoins, and are rewarded with the digital currency for their efforts. While the process may be lucrative, it is also hugely energy intensive.
Shirvani, an Autonomy Capital specialist in the sustainability of cryptocurrencies, said the problem with digital currencies such as Bitcoin was the amount of power they gobbled.
"In the face of what we're seeing with all these onsets of climate change, it's certainly not a smart, sustainable investment choice," Shirvani said.