Bitcoin accused of being a big polluter

Very greedy in electricity, is cryptocurrency mining, which consists of verifying the validity of transactions, a hyperpolluting activity and ultimately an ecological disaster?

While slayers and promoters of these decentralized technologies are tormented over this politically sensitive issue, the University of Cambridge is trying to bring factual and independent elements to the debate.

The latest edition of its study focusing on the carbon footprint of bitcoin mining debunks the claims of a Bitcoin Mining Council report.

While the latter ensures that 60% of the electricity consumed by miners comes from sustainable energies, the Cambridge researchers bring this rate down to 37%, of which 11% is nuclear.

Worse, bitcoin's energy mix was greener in 2020, with an equal ratio between fossil and sustainable energy.

At that time, 33% of the energy consumed was of hydraulic origin, compared to 18% a year later.

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