This is my primary longform research piece that analyzes the Bitcoin network’s energy consumption from multiple angles, discussing its scaling and the unique way that it uses energy.
Read on LynAlden.com
Why and How Bitcoin Consumes Energy
Bitcoin’s energy consumption is complex and often misunderstood, so this rabbit hole provides some resources to help understand this topic.
Created by Lyn Alden
Total time
2 hours 40 minutes
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Bitcoin uses a proof-of-work protocol to operate the network, which means that miners expend real-world resources (electricity) in order to validate transactions and secure the blockchain. Rather than being a bug, this is a feature because it is what keeps the protocol decentralized.
Other consensus protocols such as proof-of-stake may have their use-cases, but they make numerous trade-offs compared to proof-of-work. They are far more complex, with more attack surfaces, and are prone to centralization over time.
In addition, Bitcoin miners use energy in a very unique and useful way. Specifically, unlike data centers or other types of electricity consumers, individual Bitcoin miners don’t require very high uptime or a lot of internet bandwidth, which means they can go to areas of stranded energy production or can be co-located with power generation facilities as load balancers.
This article goes into detail on the trade-offs that proof-of-stake consensus protocols make relative to proof-of-work consensus protocols.
Read on LynAlden.com
Block Inc’s Bitcoin Clean Energy Initiative has a great “energy library” that curates several resources on Bitcoin’s energy consumption.
Read on Bitcoin.Energy
Nic Carter gave a concise video presentation at the B-Word event about Bitcoin’s energy consumption which is a very accessible resource as a starting point.
Watch on The ₿Word
In this hour-long debate, I counter a lot of the environmental arguments that are often used against Bitcoin, and explain why most of them are not accurate.
Watch on YouTube
Lyn Alden
@lynaldencontactLyn Alden has a background that blends engineering and finance. As a former electrical engineer and current financial analyst, Bitcoin’s energy consumption is a topic that is of particular interest to her, especially because it is so broadly misunderstood.
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Why and How Bitcoin Consumes Energy
A Rabbit Hole by Lyn Alden