What is Green Crypto Mining? & How does it help Environment?

Green crypto mining — An overview

Green crypto mining is an eco-friendly cryptocurrency mining process using new technologies, best practices, and environmentally sustainable methods to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Traditional crypto mining uses fossil fuels as predominant energy sources contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. Green crypto mining involves leveraging renewable energy sources like solar and wind power and using energy-efficient hardware like Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) to minimize energy consumption, carbon footprint, and its impact on the local ecosystem. For instance, Bitmain Antminer S19 Pro Hyd Bitcoin Miner is a highly advanced ASIC miner that mines Bitcoins faster and consumes relatively low energy. Thus, people can enjoy the benefits of cryptocurrencies while minimizing the environmental hazards due to traditional crypto mining. Cryptocurrencies mined using green mining are popularly known as green cryptocurrencies and seem to have a potential market. Markets and Markets forecasts that the green mining market is expected to grow from USD 11 billion in 2022 to USD 17.6 billion in 2027 at a CAGR of 9.9%.

Green crypto mining: Best practices

Traditional crypto mining demands extensive electricity for validating blockchain transactions and cooling systems to prevent overheating and equipment damage. Here are some proven best practices to minimize the impact of traditional crypto mining and exercise green mining:

1. Close illegal and unregulated mines

Closing illegal and unregulated mines comes first on the list to prevent illegal mining activities and thereby reduce unwanted environmental hazards. Reinforcing the rules and regulations for obtaining a mining license will prevent the unauthorized population and novice crypto enthusiasts from entering and spoiling the market. Government must close all unregulated mines and encourage eco-friendly crypto mining by assisting the authoritative miners with the right instructions, procedures, and technologies.

2. Leverage alternative energy sources

Another proven method to reduce energy consumption during crypto mining and its environmental impact is to use renewable energy resources like solar, hydro, and wind energy. That way, we can make the entire crypto mining process more efficient and eco-friendly. Again the government and other higher authorities should encourage such mining facilities and promote miners with needed assistance and support.

3. Practice proper electronic waste management

Electronic waste like gadgets, devices, and cables must be disposed of appropriately. Dumping it in a remote place will lead to soil contamination, air pollution, and water impurification, which can threaten human lives. Approaching a certified e-waste recycler and disposing of electronic waste through them is highly advisable. If not, donating outdated technology and devices is also recommended to avoid potential environmental threats due to e-waste.

4. Be a part of a green mining pool

Joining a green mining pool that uses renewable energy resources is one of the best alternatives to building a sustainable and eco-friendly crypto community. For example, PEGA POOL, a UK-based Bitcoin mining pool, uses sustainable and eco-friendly resources and takes a portion of your pool fees for planting trees. Crypto miners should support green mining pools by actively participating in such pools and advocating it to fellow crypto miners. That will set a new trend, and many will get inspired by the green crypto mining concept.

5. Implement heat recycling

Crypto mining generates significant heat as miners use high computational power to solve mathematical problems for validating crypto transactions. The generated heat can be used as sustainable energy for other industries. For example, Nasdaq’s article says agencies in Northern Sweden partner with energy-intensive industries like crypto mining and use the excess heat produced to create a mining-heated greenhouse. Local farmers and food industries can benefit from the greenhouse, and thus it becomes a more locally sustainable project.

6. Optimize mining software

Investing in the energy-efficient and high-speed Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) miner will help you mine cryptos faster using less energy. Partnering with a reliable crypto company that has been in the crypto mining industry for years and taking their assistance in getting the best suitable crypto miner according to your mining needs is highly advisable to build a sustainable and eco-friendly crypto community.

How eco-friendly cryptocurrency mining helps the community?

Green crypto mining can revolutionize the mining industry and foster crypto enthusiasts worldwide to enjoy the crypto benefits without harming the environment. Traditional crypto mining has numerous environmental impacts, which should be addressed to gain the optimal benefits of cryptocurrencies. Green crypto mining can help exactly with that — reducing the C02 emissions, mitigating climate change, and helping us with a more sustainable future. Let us discuss how green mining helps the community:

1. Reduced carbon emissions

Carbon emissions or carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gases emitted during any process, here, let’s say, crypto mining. While traditional crypto mining demands high computational power and emits more carbon, green crypto mining uses renewable energy resources like solar and wind, significantly reducing the carbon footprint. Using energy-efficient hardware like high-quality ASIC Miner also helps reduce Co2 emissions and promotes a sustainable crypto community.

2. Lower energy costs

Using renewable and natural energy resources is way more cost-effective than relying on fossil fuels for crypto mining. That, in turn, enables the mining pool to reduce its transaction charges and provide other benefits to its miners. All of that attracts more crypto miners and creates a long-lasting crypto community. Moreover, adopting green crypto mining will create new job opportunities in the renewable energy sector, helping the country’s economy.

3. Heightened scalability

Using renewable energy resources in green crypto mining makes the scalability of mining operations seamless. Mining pools can meet the increasing demand for crypto mining services while minimizing the environmental impact of traditional crypto mining.

4. Improved brand reputation

Crypto companies following eco-friendly crypto mining practices will be seen as a positive and reputed brand by crypto miners and environmental enthusiasts. That way, crypto companies practicing green mining can attract potential crypto miners who want to thrive in the eco-friendly crypto industry.

5. Healthy crypto community

Crypto miners who are socially responsible will work together as a community advocating the awareness of environmental issues and green mining benefits. Thus, more investors and customers who prefer sustainability and eco-friendly processes will benefit from the community. A healthy, socially responsible, and loyal crypto community will take the crypto industry a long way.

White House bill: A path to environmentally friendly cryptocurrency

Crypto mining demands miners to verify and validate blockchain transactions since no intermediaries are involved. In traditional crypto mining, miners use high-powered computers to solve complex mathematical equations quickly to identify blocks and receive a reward. So, what is the catch here?

Since miners use computers with high computational power to solve complex formulas, they use extensive energy. That, in turn, results in environmental hazards, polluting air and water. Besides, it also leads to a steep rise in energy prices in the local community that shares the electricity grid with crypto miners.

The White House has now announced that crypto miners should pay the price for the excessive energy consumption and the environmental threat due to mining. President Biden proposed a budget for the 2024 fiscal year that includes Digital Asset Mining Energy (DAME) tax for the crypto miners. As per the White House bill, the DAME tax will be around 30% of the electricity used in crypto mining after a phase-in period.

Though the tax seems to be steep, it is worth the price. For instance, Guardian says the amount of electricity used in crypto mining is roughly the same as that used to power every home in Houston, Texas. Moreover, most crypto mining hardware turns obsolete in 18 months. All of that contributes to e-waste, which again affects the environment and has to be disposed of appropriately.

Since the White House passed the bill and voiced the rising issues due to crypto mining, it has attracted people’s attention. Using renewable energy resources and clean energy, which means green crypto mining is the best way to enjoy the benefits of the crypto industry without harming the environment.

Elon Musk’s voice over renewable energy crypto mining

Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk, tweeted that Tesla has suspended vehicle purchases using Bitcoin due to the rapidly increasing use of fossil fuels for Bitcoin mining. The tweet further says that though cryptocurrency has a promising future, Tesla will use cryptos once the mining transitions use sustainable energy like <1% of Bitcoin’s energy consumption.

Here is Musk’s tweet on Bitcoin and Tesla for your reference:

Michael Saylor’s tweet on Bitcoin Mining

American entrepreneur, business executive and co-founder of Micro Strategy, Michael Saylor, seems to watch Bitcoin mining closely and voiced his opinion on Twitter. He tweeted that the Bitcoin Mining Council (BMC) uses a sustainable power mix and efficient technology to mine Bitcoins. BMC is a voluntary forum for all Bitcoin mining companies that promote transparency, best practices and other useful information for Bitcoin miners.

His tweet was redirected to the BMC website, citing the survey conducted in 2021 that focused Bitcoin mining on three metrics: electricity consumption, technological efficiency and sustainable power mix. The survey results stated that BMC members and other participants utilize a 66.1% sustainable power mix. The study also estimated that the global mining industry’s sustainable energy mix would grow to around 58.5% and become one of the most sustainable industries. Additionally, the global Bitcoin Network’s technological efficiency also grew to 19.3 Peta hash per MW.

Mr Saylor also said there would be drastic enhancements in the Bitcoin mining energy efficiency and sustainability due to semiconductor technology advancements and the rapid expansion of North American mining, the China Exodus, and worldwide support towards sustainable energy and modern mining techniques.

Michael Saylor’s Bitcoin Mining Council’s first quarterly report

Michael Saylor’s Bitcoin Mining Council team, with 9 founding and 14 new members, researched energy use in Bitcoin mining. The research was presented on July 1, 2021, which says,

• The Bitcoin network uses a negligible amount of the world’s energy, 189 terawatt hours which is 0.02% of all energy consumed.

• Bitcoin miners use more sustainable energy sources like wind, solar, hydro, and geothermal in their energy mix. Bitcoin is powered by a higher mix of sustainable energy of 56% than other industries.
• The mining ban in China and the Chinese miners leaving the industry have made mining more profitable for other miners in the rest of the world.