{"id":36261,"date":"2021-02-11T12:18:41","date_gmt":"2021-02-11T10:18:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/?p=36261"},"modified":"2025-08-29T05:26:24","modified_gmt":"2025-08-29T02:26:24","slug":"bitcoin-mining-outstrips-argentina-in-electricity-use","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/bitcoin-mining-outstrips-argentina-in-electricity-use\/","title":{"rendered":"Bitcoin mining outstrips Argentina in electricity use"},"content":{"rendered":"

Annual electricity consumption for Bitcoin mining surpassed the energy use of Argentina as a whole. This was reported<\/a> in a Cambridge University study.<\/p>\n

Scientists calculated that Bitcoin mining consumes 121.36 TWh of electricity per year.<\/p>\n

That figure is higher than Argentina’s consumption (121 TWh), the Netherlands (108.8 TWh) and the United Arab Emirates (113.2 TWh), and almost on a par with Norway (122 TWh).<\/p>\n

\"Bitcoin<\/p>\n

Data: University of Cambridge.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

That amount of electricity could power all the kettles in the United Kingdom for 27 years or meet Cambridge University’s energy needs for 688 years.<\/p>\n

The electricity used by plugged-in but idle household devices in the United States could power the Bitcoin network for a year.<\/p>\n

Mining’s energy intensity is expected to continue rising unless Bitcoin’s price falls, the researchers say.<\/p>\n

Bitcoin’s price surged on February 8 after electric-car maker Tesla announced its investments in cryptocurrency<\/a>}.<\/p>\n

Researchers say such a move undermines the company’s environmental image.<\/p>\n

David Gerard, author of ‘Attack of the 50-Foot Blockchain,’ suggested that a carbon tax on cryptocurrencies could offset miners’ negative environmental impact.<\/p>\n

Back in January 2018, the energy consumed by Bitcoin miners equaled the energy use of an entire G-20 economy.<\/p>\n

Subscribe to ForkLog’s YouTube channel at YouTube<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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