Main content

Will Bitcoin use more electricity than the United States?

Measuring the energy used to keep the crypotcurrency secure.

There have been stories in the media suggesting that Bitcoin mining consumes more electricity a year than Ireland, 1.5% of the world鈥檚 energy.

And if current trends continue, by July 2019, the Bitcoin network will require more electricity than the entire United States currently uses.

Can these extraordinary claims be true? We look at the energy required to power the computers to keep the cryptocurrency secure, with help from Alex de Vries of the Digiconomist blog.

Presenter: Jordan Dunbar and Charlotte McDonald
Producer: Richard Vadon

(image: Digital Cryptocurrency, a Bitcoin alongside a selection of fiat currencies, December 2017 in London, UK. Credit: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Available now

9 minutes

Last on

Boxing Day 2017 02:50GMT
91福利社 World Service except News Internet

More episodes

Previous

Diet Coke Habit

Next

Statistics of the Year 2017

See all episodes from More or Less

Clip

Broadcasts

  • Christmas Eve 2017 19:50GMT
    91福利社 World Service except News Internet
  • Christmas Day 2017 13:50GMT
    91福利社 World Service except News Internet
  • Boxing Day 2017 02:50GMT
    91福利社 World Service except News Internet

Unlock the history and truth behind the data with The OU

Explore how numbers shape, and sometimes mislead us, with The Open University.

When can you trust statistics?

When can you trust statistics?

91福利社 Ideas discovers three easy ways to help make sense of statistics.

Podcast

  • More or Less

    Tim Harford explains the numbers and statistics used in everyday life