US Eyes on Bitcoin Miners: Clarification on Energy Consumption Awaited
Authorities in the United States demanded that companies conducting mining operations make statements regarding energy consumption. In the letters sent; It was stated that it was aimed to learn how much energy miners consume and how their activities will affect the environment and people.
It is a known fact that cryptocurrencies are becoming more and more common day by day. As the popularity of these currencies increases, mining activities are also on the rise. However, energy consumption due to mining, especially the mining of the leading cryptocurrency Bitcoin (BTC) , is also on the agenda of the world. The United States of America is one of the countries where these activities take place the most after the bans of China and is at the center of these discussions.
Now, a move has come from the country's Democratic Party officials towards the miners. Lawmakers made a significant request from Bitcoin mining companies based in the US. Letters sent to six mining companies with the signatures of eight congressmen asked for explanations about energy consumption .
A statement was requested on the energy consumption of mining activities.
Authorities said they wanted to learn how much electricity is used in mining operations , how clean energy is consumed, and how this will affect people and the environment . “ Given the extraordinarily high energy use and carbon emissions associated with Bitcoin mining, the impacts of these activities on the environmental and local ecosystems are of concern , ” the statement said.
Members of Congress also asked companies to explain how they plan to grow in the United States, apart from electricity use. This request comes after a discussion of the energy implications of cryptocurrency mining last week. In this debate, US experts and congressmen voiced their opinions on the implications of mining for renewable energy and whether it would derail the country's climate goals .
Mining activities consume more energy in a year than Ukraine
Cryptocurrency mining, led by Bitcoin, consumes a large amount of energy. It is stated that these activities consume more energy than Ukraine in a year . It is also stated that if this electricity used is produced by fossil fuels, it can make great contributions to climate change. Therefore, it is quite normal for the US authorities to make such a request.
It is also among the news that the mining companies in the country do not use much renewable energy and that the equipment is operated 24/7. For this reason, it is hoped that as a result of the letter sent by the congress members, it will be revealed whether the companies are working with clean or environmentally harmful energies.
It was also among the news that companies were expected to respond to this request by February 10 . It was also noted in the news published by The Verge that only two companies have commented on the subject at the moment. While one of the companies, Marathon Digital Holdings, stated that they plan to establish productive dialogues; Another company called Riot Blockchain stated that it is proud to do business in the USA and that they are seriously considering responding to the letter of the congressmen.
