Datacenters used for cryptocurrency mining use a lot of energy. By Amber Bennett Although cryptocurrencies are virtual, they are having a tangible impact on our environment. Research shows that cryptocurrencies actually are worse for the earth than other types of money. So, why is that? Simply put, it's because of the resources needed to run the supercomputers that mine Bitcoin and other virtual currencies. Energy Use The datacenters used for mining use large amounts of electricity. For example, the global Bitcoin network uses more energy than entire countries . In fact, according to the University of Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index , the network's power demand is the same as more than 14 million typical American homes. Most of the energy used in the datacenters comes from fossil fuels instead of renewable resources. Plus, datacenters' high energy use can destabilize the electric grid. Materials Mining Another way that cryptocurrency impacts the environme
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