时间:2024-09-20 08:44:18 来源:网络整理编辑:綜合
The "good times" for crypto miners really do seem to be coming to an end.Just last month it was repo
The "good times" for crypto miners really do seem to be coming to an end.
Just last month it was reportedthat Bitcoin miners were selling off more Bitcoin than they were bringing in in order to cover their energy costs during the crypto crash, which saw the token plummet in value. With energy costs rising as well, mining companies were seeing profits dwindle from their mining endeavors.
Now, cryptocurrency miners have a new issue on their hands: U.S. Congress.
Congressional Democrats, led by Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, are looking into crypto mining requirements that would force mining companies to report their energy usage.
Senator Warren, along with five other Democratic members of Congress, wrote a letterto the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy requesting that the two agencies work together to create rules requiring crypto mining companies to report on their energy use and emissions data.
The move comes, according to the New York Times, after an investigation into seven of the United States' largest Bitcoin mining companies. The inquiry found that these Bitcoin miners are heading towards using up "as much as 1,045 megawatts of power, or enough electricity to power all the residences in a city the size of Houston." Houston is Texas' most populous city and the fourth largest in the country with more than 2.3 million residents.
"The results of our investigation, which gathered data from just seven companies, are disturbing, with this limited data alone revealing that cryptominers are large energy users that account for a significant – and rapidly growing – amount of carbon emissions," reads the letter.
The letter points out that miners' energy use is also passing on additional costs for those who live and work in the cities where they are based. Notably, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which operates Texas' power grid has had to ask crypto minersin the state to voluntarily shut down operations when energy demands spike due to heatwaves.
The largely-unregulated cryptocurrency mining industry uses massive amountsof energy due to the high-powered computer processing power necessary in order to validate transactions on the blockchain. In exchange for successfully guessing the random string of numbers required to put a block on the chain, miners are rewarded with Bitcoin. As time goes on, this process becomes more difficult and the Bitcoin remuneration will be cut in half.
According to the report, one mining company, Marathon Digital Holdings plans to grow its operation from its current 33,000 mining rigs to 199,000 rigs by early 2023. Right now, the company powers its operation thanks to a Montana-based energy company that generates electricity by burning coal.
With crypto miners set to use up even more energy in the near future, it seems Senator Warren's letter is a step towards monitoring the industry and possibly passing regulations to curtail at least some of its more destructive behavior.
TopicsCryptocurrencyPolitics
Snapchat is about to explode in popularity, report says2024-09-20 08:43
花天酒地?巴西4歸化去向成疑 僅費南多毫無進展2024-09-20 08:06
新華社:走向更新換代 中國足球要有繼續前行的勇氣和信心2024-09-20 08:00
新華社 :中國足球要有繼續前行的勇氣和信心2024-09-20 07:44
The Weeknd teases new music in Instagram post2024-09-20 07:27
重慶隊長楊帥發文告別 :曾幻想再次退役 期待重逢那天2024-09-20 07:01
戴偉浚:國足今天的表現沒有達標 希望以後有驚人的表現2024-09-20 06:50
俄羅斯或遭國際足聯直接除名 導致無法加入亞足聯2024-09-20 06:39
These glasses hide a fitness tracker on your face2024-09-20 06:37
曝洛國富等歸化球員或與國足緣盡 蔣光太除外2024-09-20 06:21
Hiddleswift finally followed each other on Instagram after 3 excruciating days2024-09-20 08:36
李霄鵬滿意球隊進攻表現 :上場的隊員都是勇士2024-09-20 08:23
凡爾賽?王霜社媒更新:看了一眼肚皮 腹肌不夠2024-09-20 08:15
登貝萊告知隊友願續約留隊 巴薩:先把經紀人踢開2024-09-20 08:03
Visualizing July's astounding global temperature records2024-09-20 07:52
央視談國足丟球 :國家隊在防守中被拉空成這樣也是罕見2024-09-20 07:40
0比1到0比3!U23受困兩症結 沒能複仇心態還需修煉2024-09-20 07:39
戴偉浚:國足今天的表現沒有達標 希望以後有驚人的表現2024-09-20 07:29
17 questions you can answer if you're a good communicator2024-09-20 06:47
FIFA最新排名:巴西超越比利時升至榜首 法國第三2024-09-20 06:16