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.