How Mining Bitcoin will Change the Energy Sector

Despite the digital nature of Bitcoin, the process of mining requires a massive physical infrastructure to support it.

How mining works is explained extensively here but simply put, miners are searching/mining for a lucky number and upon finding that number the miner gets freshly minted bitcoin as rewards for their work.

This search for the lucky number involves a network of computers accross the globe. These computers are working together to not only find these lucky numbers but are at the same time working together to secure the network. Basically, the more energy bitcoin consumes the more unhackable it becomes.

But now the energy cost is the number one criticism of bitcoin, even Elon Musk has said that energy costs are ‘insane’, albeit Elon seems to be coming around to scaling on second layers.

The mining power consumption is measured to be about the same energy requirements of a small nation like New Zealand. Undoubtedly this has sparked heated debates around the ‘wasteful’ nature of bitcoin mining.

And it does sound super wasteful doesn't it... or is it?

If we really want to quantify bitcoin's energy costs, then it should be compared at scale to the existing traditional financial system that it is trying to replace.

When measured against banking operations, coin minting and currency printing, the estimated activity is combined to be 1,200% larger than bitcoin mining as illustrated in the table below.

The table shows just how small the mining operations are of bitcoin in comparison to similar system (for more information visit source from Dan Held).

So if the scale of energy consumed is tiny why is there such a big fuss over the topic?

Because many would argue that bitcoin mining may grow unsustainably, superseding banking or even government.

To come to that conclusion all you need to do is measure the mining power consumption of bitcoin and project that measurement into the future and you get something that looks like a global warming death machine.

But that is a lazy extrapolation that does not consider various types of energy and sources. The truth is if bitcoin grows in popularity the mining will only use a fraction of global energy. 

But what is most interesting is bitcoin mining needs to stay lean, green, and sustainable, it thrives on it. Bitcoin does this by tapping into stranded energy sources which this article will explore more. We shall explore why green energy may now have a fighting chance against oil and gas, all thanks to crypto's inbuilt energy mining reward system.

So, let’s drill into it!

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🔶Bitcoin mining utilizes stranded energy

A growing number of energy providers have realized they can use their stranded energy to mine crypto at no additional cost to the environment.

The above image shows how oil and gas companies can reduce carbon emissions through bitcoin mining. Onsite image sourced from UpstreamDataInch.

Many forward-thinking energy companies are now integrating crypto mining into their operations by simply deploying a container of bitcoin mining computers onsite. These containerized mining rigs essentially cost nothing to run as the energy used is free and would otherwise be burnt into the atmosphere or at least left to waste.

These innovative energy companies are now simply offsetting excess energy into bitcoin.

Energy companies now have an interesting way to diversify their existing operations into new and innovative revenue streams. Acting as an energy producer, crypto miner, and quasi-crypto financial service, all the while reducing emissions. 

By integrating mining into their business, these energy companies can now select the most profitable option out of selling their energy or using it for mining crypto. The mining hardware can be switched on to be the energy buyers/consumers of last resort, which is perfect when market demand for energy drops off or when there is an unreliable or intermittent energy source.

This new alignment of incentives also means green energy companies that typically can’t scale and suffer from intermittent energy sources can still profit and compete against oil, coal, and gas energy producers.

Globally there is an over abudence of free untapped energy sources, and these sources can even give communties basic electricity as illustrated in Africa all thanks to bitcoin mining.

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🔷Crypto mining to go green and mainstream

But how about today?
Is mining bitcoin warming the planet? Turns out, contrary to popular belief, bitcoin produces a minuscule effect on CO2 levels globally.

The main reason for this is because mining bitcoin or others POW system for that matter requires cheap or free energy in order to be profitable. It is a business, and business naturally want to find cheap efficient energy practices. Bitcoin miners either go green or go bust.

UpstreamDataInc a company specializing in portable mining equipment, in the above video source shows how methane emissions that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere are now reduced thanks to crypto mining.

It is not impossible to imagine crypto mining making renewable energy investments more attractive because of the financial benefits of crypto assets.

Big energy companies see the writing on the wall, maybe as a potential way out of the fossil fuel trap or maybe because of the bitcoin. The Norwegian oil giant Aker ASA has very quickly become a large bitcoin holder and direct investor in various bitcoin-related operations including mining.

And, it’s not just energy companies but investment firms and financial companies like ARK Invest and Square that are realizing this and saying:

“The bitcoin and energy markets are converging and we believe the energy asset owners of today will likely become the miners of tomorrow. Utility executives, sustainable infrastructure funds, and grid-scale storage developers are well-positioned to expedite this future by aligning their strategic roadmap and deploying large-scale investments into the emerging synergy between bitcoin mining and clean energy production.” in a joint paper between ARK Invest and Square, Inc. 

Cathie Wood from Ark Invest strongly argues against Elon’s claims that mining uses excessive fossil fuels and instead says mining is environmentally beneficial the more energy producers learn to collaborate with crypto operations.

This collaboration between energy and crypto could lead to a bigger demand for business crypto wallets that miners and energy producers will inevitably require in order to handle crypto transactions, which begs the question, how will all this affect the existing crypto-financial markets going forward?

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🔷Energy producing countries and their effect on crypto mining and exchanges

All energy-rich nations are beginning to see the value of a crypto strategy. Venezuela and Iran have both officially declared their intentions to mine crypto, and the heavy energy-producing Middle-Eastern nations are planning for their own launch of their CBDC. The US within Texas is slowly becoming a crypto hub for miners from around the world.

All these moves are showing us that energy-producing regions have little choice but to participate in the mining of digital currencies.

The existing energy sector with its already highly complex set of structures will likely need to outsource most of the work required to integrate crypto. Crypto energy specialists have begun to emerge like GAM and Layer1, and many more like them are now established entirely to provide specialized crypto integration services to the big energy companies.

The convergence of these industries is likely to increase demand for more crypto broker platforms like exchanges or other similar crypto-financial services. This could mean open blockchain tools could be in high demand to facilitate more market collaboration between businesses in the energy and crypto/blockchain technology space.

Another thing to consider if the energy sector continues to integrate crypto is that exchanges might start getting acquired. By owning and operating a digital asset exchange or by leveraging new open-source financial technology, the mining operations and energy companies alike can vertically integrate.

Vertically integrating crypto mining and exchange technology would drastically reduce counterparty risk and decrease logistical inefficiencies inherent to the energy sector today.

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⚡Merging energy, money, and crypto

If money is a type of energy, it makes complete sense to combine the energy sector with the blockchain asset industry. The biggest challenge is getting the experts from both fields to speak the same language, which they don't today but are beginning to.

The good news is money is the universal language and never before has there been a greater incentive to explore renewable energy solutions. The numbers don't lie and mining is already showing its clear carbon offsetting benefits.

As the energy sector continues to evolve and transition towards more sustainable forms of power generation, the role of bitcoin mining operations will become increasingly important. With the rise of open-source crypto exchange technology, we may see more and more mining operations popping up to take advantage of the growing market for digital currencies. Additionally, the increasing demand for energy-efficient mining solutions will likely drive innovation and progress in the energy sector as a whole, as companies look for ways to power their operations sustainably. Ultimately, the future of bitcoin mining and the energy sector remains uncertain, but it is clear that those who are able to navigate the challenges and opportunities presented by these industries will be well-positioned in the big energy shift.