Skip to content

On my Om

On Technology & Change

  • Journal
  • Essays
  • Interviews
  • About
  • Search

…the current global power consumption for the servers that run bitcoin’s software is a minimum of 2.55 gigawatts (GW), which amounts to energy consumption of 22 terawatt-hours (TWh) per year—almost the same as Ireland. Google, by comparison, used 5.7 TWh worldwide in 2015.

If the cryptocurrency were to stay at its recent price of $8,000, power usage of the bitcoin network would peak at 7.67 gigawatts (67 terrawatt hours of energy on an annual basis, or one-fifth of Britain’s energy use).

Read article on The Economist

Letter from Om

A (nearly) bi-weekly dispatch about tech & future.

You will get my reporting, analysis, conversations, and curation of the essential information you need to make sense of the present future.

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

My blog has an RSS feed. I am on Twitter @Om

***

Related Posts

  • Bitcoin is a real energy hog
  • Snap & Climate Change: Is there a link?
  • A new (tech) front in US-China​ Trade war?

Read article on The Economist

Om Malik

Om Malik is a San Francisco based writer, photographer and investor. More....

Post navigation

Previous Previous post: Federer goes to Uniqlo
Next Next post: Facebook & Its Lies: Facial Recognition Edition
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • RSS Feed
Powered by WordPress | Hosted by Pressable
 Twitter
 Email