From the moment they purchase hardware, miners are on a time crunch to maximize their BTC mined no matter how cheap their electricity may be. This is because, with the exception of today’s unprecedented mining profitability resulting from China’s nationwide crackdown, the Bitcoin network difficulty has been steadily climbing to the tune of ~8% monthly increases during the modern ASIC era. In other words, the BTC mined per hash has been decreasing by ~8%/month during that time. Takes aim crypto mining once again When it comes to cryptocurrency mining, there are several benefits that make this activity worth undertaking. Perhaps the most obvious benefit is the fact that crypto mining can be a lucrative way to earn extra income. However, there are other benefits as well that make crypto mining worth considering.For one, crypto mining can help support the decentralized network of the particular cryptocurrency you are mining for. In essence, by contributing your computing power to the network, you are helping to keep it secure and running smoothly. Additionally, crypto mining can be a great way to learn about blockchain technology and how it works – knowledge that could be helpful in a variety of other contexts beyond just cryptocurrency.
Increasing financial sector exposures to crypto-assets with a significant carbon footprint are contributing to increased climate transition risk for the financial sector. A key question for all seeking to profit from a highly volatile and speculative asset class will thus not only be whether certain crypto-assets fit with their ESG investment strategies, but also whether the negative externalities of crypto mining and jurisdictions’ climate policies are priced in. The pricing in of these negative ecological externalities and authorities’ possible policy measures could eventually lead to losses on crypto-asset exposures. Financial results Environmental harms. Bitcoin mining is an enormously energy-intensive process: the network now consumes more electricity than many countries. This has sparked fears about the cryptocurrency’s contribution to climate change. Cryptocurrency proponents say this problem can be solved using renewable energy; El Salvador’s president has pledged to use volcanic energy to mine bitcoin, for example. Environmental concerns reportedly prompted Ethereum’s move to a proof of stake model, which uses less energy.