Why does Bitcoin consume ‘insane’ energy?


Bitcoin mining centres around the world, like this one in South Korea, consume an enormous amount of energy. — dpa

NEW YORK: Cryptocurrency fans have counted Tesla boss Elon Musk as among their champions, but this week he rocked their world by questioning the future of the digital assets and singling out carbon emissions from bitcoin mining for particular criticism.

“Energy usage trend over past few months is insane,” Musk tweeted on Thursday, sharing a chart from the Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index (CBECI), his latest missive in a salvo that’s caused Bitcoin’s price to drop.

The Star Christmas Special Promo: Save 35% OFF Yearly. T&C applies.

Monthly Plan

RM 13.90/month

Best Value

Annual Plan

RM 12.33/month

RM 8.02/month

Billed as RM 96.20 for the 1st year, RM 148 thereafter.

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Next In Tech News

Nvidia buys AI software provider SchedMD to expand open-source AI push
US launches campaign to hire AI engineers for federal roles
Netflix says its position on deal with Warner Bros Discovery unchanged
Citi sets 2026 S&P 500 target at 7,700, expects AI to remain key theme
Exclusive-Tesla board made $3 billion via stock awards that dwarfed tech peers
Electricity is now holding back growth across the global economy
North Korean leader's sister sports Chinese foldable phone
STMicro has shipped 5 billion chips for Starlink in past decade; that could double by 2027
Tech support scammers stole US$85,000 from him. His bank declined to refund him.
Analysis-Old meets new economy: AI boom to supercharge European banks' rally

Others Also Read