A US House subcommittee hearing on “Cleaning Up Cryptocurrency” and the vitality usage of blockchains kicked off Thursday with one consultant calling the vitality consumption of some Bitcoin mines “deeply regarding.”
The hearing comes because the outsized power consumption of cryptocurrency mining is more and more questioned by politicians and local weather advocates. Mining firms run 1000’s of computer systems to resolve the calculations that underpin sure cryptocurrencies, particularly Bitcoin and Ethereum.
Rep. Diana DeGette, a Colorado Democrat, stated in her opening assertion Thursday that blockchain know-how has promising purposes however mining’s vitality effectivity and carbon emissions must be at forefront of any dialogue about crypto.
Lawmakers particularly raised issues in regards to the repurposing of previous coal vegetation in New York and Pennsylvania to help mining operations.
“We can not deliver retired fossil gas vegetation again on-line or delay the retirement of a few of our oldest and least environment friendly vegetation in help of vitality intensive crypto mining,” stated Rep. Frank Pallone, the Democrat who heads the Energy and Commerce Committee.
The hearing was held by a House Committee on Energy & Commerce subcommittee and witnesses included a utility govt and BitFury Chief Executive Officer Brian Brooks.
A report cited by the subcommittee estimates that collectively Ethereum and Bitcoin mining operations emitted greater than 78 million tons of carbon dioxide into the ambiance final yr – an quantity equal to the annual tailpipe emissions of greater than 15.5 million vehicles.
The “hearing was honest and appeared to genuinely be largely in favour of the chance Bitcoin mining can deliver to the US,” stated Leah Wald, chief govt at Valkyrie Investments, which lately launched a Bitcoin futures ETF.
“We are hopeful that, regardless of some clear hurdles we as an trade nonetheless have to beat from an schooling perspective, that this may be the beginning of a turning level for Bitcoin and different digital belongings in the eyes of our authorities.” – Bloomberg
by 
