What do Bitcoin and swimming pools have in common? They use the same amount of water, study finds

Once over Digital currencies are increasingly being questioned for their environmental impactA recent study revealed a surprising aspect of Bitcoin’s ecological footprint.

According to Alex de Vries, professor at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The average Bitcoin transaction requires enough water to fill a large swimming pool. This amount is approximately six million times the amount used in credit card transactions.

The study, published in the journal Cell Reports Sustainability, attributes this intense water use to Bitcoin mining. Bitcoin operations rely on millions of computers around the world, requiring significant amounts of electricity generated mostly from water-intensive coal and gas-fired power plants, as well as hydroelectric power.

Global Impact of Bitcoin’s Water Use

Effects A large portion of Bitcoin’s water consumption. The research found that to date, nearly three million people around the world face water scarcity issues.

The severity of the situation will worsen as climate change progresses, especially in regions such as Central Asia and the United States, especially around California.

Only in 2021 Bitcoin activities were responsible for the consumption of approximately 1,600 billion liters of water. Estimates for 2023 show that this figure may increase to 2200 million liters.

Mining is in the focus of the issue

The main reason for Bitcoin’s water usage lies in its “proof of work” mining system. This process involves miners monitoring transactions in a competitive market, leading to excessive computational efforts.

As Mr. de Vries explains, these mining activities involve millions of devices around the world making an astronomical number of guesses every second to verify transactions.

Despite the environmental impact, there are alternatives. For example, Ethereum, another major cryptocurrency, successfully switched to a “proof-of-stake” system in 2022, reducing energy use by more than 99%. This varies It is possible to significantly reduce environmental impact through changes in cryptocurrency mining methodologies..

Although Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are an important development in the field of digital finance, their impact on the environment, especially water use, should not be ignored.

Follow the latest developments in technology and science at TecMundo. If you wish, take the opportunity to learn how water appeared on Earth.