Last month, I witnessed something truly inspiring. A local hackathon, buzzing with coders, designers, and entrepreneurs – all focused on one thing: sustainable blockchain solutions. The energy in the room was infectious, a refreshing contrast to the pessimistic narrative that seems to dominate discussions about crypto’s environmental footprint. That last...
Now, picture needing to wake up at 3 AM. Gone is the light, tinkling melody of crickets, replaced with a continuous and maddening drone that rumbles under your skin. The same is true for the families who live near crypto mines over in Texas. It’s not a distant dystopian future...
Upstate New York is currently experiencing an escalating battle between cryptocurrency mining facilities that have settled in the region and vulnerable communities fighting for their environment and public health. Now companies like Greenidge Generation continue to rush into the region to exploit their dirt cheap electricity. They are facing withering...
Across America, the surge in Bitcoin mining operations is transforming quiet, rural communities into industrial zones, triggering a wave of complaints about noise and environmental pollution. These mines contain thousands of computer rigs that run 24/7, playing a game of logic to verify digital currency transactions and mint new coins....
Vilonia, Arkansas, population about 4,500, just said “no” for the second time to a proposed crypto mine. Though it may sound like a small town kerfuffle, this regional rebuke reverberates with a vastly larger, potentially industry-shifting rejection. Are we witnessing the start of a long overdue decrease in unrestrained crypto...
Okay, let's talk about the elephant in the blockchain: Bitcoin's energy consumption. We all love the idea behind defy. It provides liberation from state regulation and, dare we say it, the potential for enormous profits! That warm, fuzzy feeling evaporates in short order. You quickly learn that it takes a...
New analysis finds that Bitcoin mining operations in the United States are significant sources of air pollution. Perversely, that has led to about 1.9 million Americans losing protections from exposure to hazardous pollution levels each year. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health researchers spearheaded this initiative. Their report focuses...
Put away the glitz and the glamour and the yellow Lamborghinis. Make no mistake, Bitcoin’s dark side is destroying our communities, and you’re the one footing the bill. We’re sold on the idea that it’s the future of finance, some kind of decentralized paradise. What if that future instead is...
Bitcoin. Digital gold. Decentralized finance. This is the same mantra we’ve been told for decades. What if the shiny, glitzy promise of crypto has a much smokier underbelly? That reality is likely doing permanent damage by polluting our air and shortening our lives. It’s past time to address the unintended...
Okay, let's get real. Maybe you’ve heard that Bitcoin mining is an environmental catastrophe. A power-guzzling, climate-wrecking monster spewing carbon into the atmosphere, you say? I get it. That’s the narrative we’ve been fed. What if I told you that narrative is… half-baked. Could Bitcoin mining, yes, Bitcoin mining, be...
