Congratulations! You’ve made it to the final lesson of this course.
But it tackles arguably one of the most contentious issues surrounding Bitcoin. Headlines, group chats, and political debates rehash this question often.
“Isn’t Bitcoin bad for the environment?”
It’s one of the most common arguments against Bitcoin, and it sounds reasonable:
Bitcoin mining uses a lot of electricity. That can’t be good… right?
But you know what’s strange? Most people stop there.
They rarely ask what kind of energy Bitcoin uses, why it uses energy in the first place, or how that energy use compares to the rest of the global financial and resource systems we rely on every day — from central banks to credit cards to gold mining.
Let’s dive into what Bitcoin’s energy use really means — and how it might play a surprising role in driving renewable energy innovation.
By the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to:
- Understand the main environmental concerns around Bitcoin’s energy use — and where they come from
- Identify the arguments for and against Bitcoin’s energy consumption, and evaluate them critically
- Compare it fairly with traditional systems like banking and gold
- Understand how Bitcoin mining can support renewable energy