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.

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