The process that validates cryptocurrency transactions requires enormous computing power. And to generate this power, you have to power the data centers and therefore generate a lot of electrical energy.
Thus, according to Benjamin Jones, a professor at the University of New Mexico, it takes at least 110 terawatt hours, which is what a country like Norway consumes in a year! The concern is that currently, the energy used is of fossil origin, which therefore implies carbon pollution.
One solution would be to use renewable energies (solar, wind, hydroelectric, etc.) or even to use processes that require much less computing power. According to the company that manages Ethereum, the latter wishes to adopt a method that will reduce electricity consumption by 99%.
Benjamins Jones thus believes that it is possible to obtain a “clean” cryptocurrency that does not cause environmental damage. According to a study published in Nature Communications, in 2024 the carbon footprint of cryptocurrencies would be around 130 million tonnes of CO2, so it is high time to act.
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