Bitcoinâs dirty little secret: Itâs not easy being green Weâre sorry, this service is currently unavailable. Please try again later. Dismiss Save Normal text size Advertisement Depending on who you ask bitcoin, the digital currency at the heart of the crypto craze is either a currency or a commodity, a speculative bubble or a safe tool for storing and building wealth. One thing everyone agrees on is that it has become a staggering consumer of energy and producer of climate wrecking carbon dioxide. Debate between its champions and detractors grows with its price and value, intensified by accelerating global efforts to tackle climate change.