European Regulator Calls for Effective Ban on Proof-of-Work Crypto Mining
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Erik Thedéen, the vice-chairman of the European Securities and Markets Authority, has renewed fresh calls for widespread ban on Bitcoin mining. In an interview with The Financial Times media outlets, Thedéen raised concerns over the increasing use of renewable energy dedicated for Bitcoin mining. The regulator described Bitcoin mining as a national threat for his native country Sweden and warned that cryptocurrency mining poses a risk to meeting climate change goals enshrined in the Paris Agreement. Thedéen has therefore called upon European regulators to consider banning a mining method regarded as ‘proof of work,’ which is mainly used for Bitcoin mining and a few other
cryptocurrencies
Cryptocurrencies
By using cryptography, virtual currencies, known as cryptocurrencies, are nearly counterfeit-proof digital currencies that are built on blockchain technology. Comprised of decentralized networks, blockchain technology is not overseen by a central authority.Therefore, cryptocurrencies function in a decentralized nature which theoretically makes them immune to government interference. The term, cryptocurrency derives from the origin of the encryption techniques that are employed to secure the networks which are used to authenticate blockchain technology. Cryptocurrencies can be thought of as systems that accept online payments which are denoted as “tokens.” Tokens are represented as internal ledger entries in blockchain technology while the term crypto is used to depict cryptographic methods and encryption algorithms such as public-private key pairs, various hashing functions, and an elliptical curve. Every cryptocurrency transaction that occurs is logged in a web-based ledger with blockchain technology.These then must be approved by a disparate network of individual nodes (computers that maintain a copy of the ledger). For every new block generated, the block must first be authenticated and confirmed ‘approved’ by each node, which makes forging the transactional history of cryptocurrencies nearly impossible. The World’s First CryptoBitcoin became the first blockchain-based cryptocurrency and to this day is still the most demanded cryptocurrency and the most valued. Bitcoin still contributes the majority of the overall cryptocurrency market volume, though several other cryptos have grown in popularity in recent years.Indeed, out of the wake of Bitcoin, iterations of Bitcoin became prevalent which resulted in a multitude of newly created or cloned cryptocurrencies. Contending cryptocurrencies that emerged after Bitcoin’s success is referred to as ‘altcoins’ and they refer to cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Peercoin, Namecoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Stellar, and Dash. Cryptocurrencies promise a wide range of technological innovations that have yet to be structured into being. Simplified payments between two parties without the need for a middle man is one aspect while leveraging blockchain technology to minimize transaction and processing fees for banks is another. Of course, cryptocurrencies have their disadvantages too. This includes issues of tax evasion, money laundering, and other illicit online activities where anonymity is a dire ingredient in solicitous and fraudulent activities.
By using cryptography, virtual currencies, known as cryptocurrencies, are nearly counterfeit-proof digital currencies that are built on blockchain technology. Comprised of decentralized networks, blockchain technology is not overseen by a central authority.Therefore, cryptocurrencies function in a decentralized nature which theoretically makes them immune to government interference. The term, cryptocurrency derives from the origin of the encryption techniques that are employed to secure the networks which are used to authenticate blockchain technology. Cryptocurrencies can be thought of as systems that accept online payments which are denoted as “tokens.” Tokens are represented as internal ledger entries in blockchain technology while the term crypto is used to depict cryptographic methods and encryption algorithms such as public-private key pairs, various hashing functions, and an elliptical curve. Every cryptocurrency transaction that occurs is logged in a web-based ledger with blockchain technology.These then must be approved by a disparate network of individual nodes (computers that maintain a copy of the ledger). For every new block generated, the block must first be authenticated and confirmed ‘approved’ by each node, which makes forging the transactional history of cryptocurrencies nearly impossible. The World’s First CryptoBitcoin became the first blockchain-based cryptocurrency and to this day is still the most demanded cryptocurrency and the most valued. Bitcoin still contributes the majority of the overall cryptocurrency market volume, though several other cryptos have grown in popularity in recent years.Indeed, out of the wake of Bitcoin, iterations of Bitcoin became prevalent which resulted in a multitude of newly created or cloned cryptocurrencies. Contending cryptocurrencies that emerged after Bitcoin’s success is referred to as ‘altcoins’ and they refer to cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Peercoin, Namecoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Stellar, and Dash. Cryptocurrencies promise a wide range of technological innovations that have yet to be structured into being. Simplified payments between two parties without the need for a middle man is one aspect while leveraging blockchain technology to minimize transaction and processing fees for banks is another. Of course, cryptocurrencies have their disadvantages too. This includes issues of tax evasion, money laundering, and other illicit online activities where anonymity is a dire ingredient in solicitous and fraudulent activities.
Read this Term. Instead, he advocates for the use of ‘proof of stake’ as a better energy efficient alternative.
Both Bitcoin and Ether rely on the ‘proof of work’ method, which requires all participants on the blockchain network to verify transactions. Miners who use sprawling data centers and fast computers to solve complex puzzles, are rewarded for recording transactions with newly minted coins. However, that model requires a huge amount of energy than the ‘proof of stake’ method, where the number of parties signing off trade is much smaller.
Thedéen stated: “The solution is to ban proof of work. Proof of stake has a significantly lower energy profile.”
In November 2021, Melanion Capital, a Paris-based alternative investment firm, also echoed the same sentiment, describing ‘proof-of-work’ mining as “completely misinformed.” However, the investment company further justified that because of the decentralized nature of Bitcoin,there is no lobby group to defend its interest, which “should not be taken as an opportunity to implement measures making the industry illegal for its lack of defensive powers.”
Can Green Bitcoin Mining Become More Sustainable?
The announcement by Thedéen comes at a time when Bitcoin mining recently faced a lot of resistance from various stakeholders. In May last year, electric carmaker Tesla stopped accepting the Bitcoin payments, citing huge amounts of electricity required to mine the cryptocurrency. Few weeks later, China then imposed a ban on the mining of cryptocurrencies such Bitcoin and Ethereum in the region. In September, China renewed a fresh ban as part of its efforts to eliminate cryptocurrency mining operations from the country. Meng Wei, spokesperson for China’s National Development and Reform Commission, a macroeconomic planning agency, stated that
crypto mining
Crypto Mining
Cryptocurrency mining is defined as the process through which the transactions of a digital currency are authenticated then published to blockchain. For every crypto transaction conducted, a crypto miner is in charge of authenticating the information which, if approved, is then updated in the blockchain. Currently, the most popular cryptocurrencies being mined are Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum Classic, Monero, and DASH. How is Cryptocurrency Mined?The process of crypto mining itself involves the solving of complex mathematical equations through the application of cryptographic hash functions. The crypto miner who can solve the solution first can authorize that cryptocurrency transaction while also receiving small cryptocurrency payments in exchange for services rendered. Crypto mining is competitive, tedious, and generally requires that miners possess advanced computers with specialized hardware, increased processing power, and an unwavering internet connection. Electricity, cost of internet, and computing hardware make up the bulk of the expenses that affect the net revenue created through crypto mining. Most cryptocurrency miners generate no than a couple of dollars per day. To perform crypto mining, miners must possess computer hardware that is accompanied by a graphical processing unit (GPU) chip or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). Recommended computer brands include both Windows and Linux since non-Windows systems tend to have a difficult configuration process. Once acquired, crypto miners must ensure that they have a constant internet connection, have a means to cool-off hardware, possess a legitimate cryptocurrency mining software.Miners also often require membership with both online mining pools and cryptocurrency exchanges.
Cryptocurrency mining is defined as the process through which the transactions of a digital currency are authenticated then published to blockchain. For every crypto transaction conducted, a crypto miner is in charge of authenticating the information which, if approved, is then updated in the blockchain. Currently, the most popular cryptocurrencies being mined are Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum Classic, Monero, and DASH. How is Cryptocurrency Mined?The process of crypto mining itself involves the solving of complex mathematical equations through the application of cryptographic hash functions. The crypto miner who can solve the solution first can authorize that cryptocurrency transaction while also receiving small cryptocurrency payments in exchange for services rendered. Crypto mining is competitive, tedious, and generally requires that miners possess advanced computers with specialized hardware, increased processing power, and an unwavering internet connection. Electricity, cost of internet, and computing hardware make up the bulk of the expenses that affect the net revenue created through crypto mining. Most cryptocurrency miners generate no than a couple of dollars per day. To perform crypto mining, miners must possess computer hardware that is accompanied by a graphical processing unit (GPU) chip or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). Recommended computer brands include both Windows and Linux since non-Windows systems tend to have a difficult configuration process. Once acquired, crypto miners must ensure that they have a constant internet connection, have a means to cool-off hardware, possess a legitimate cryptocurrency mining software.Miners also often require membership with both online mining pools and cryptocurrency exchanges.
Read this Term is an extremely harmful industry that jeopardizes China’s pursuit of carob neutrality. However, Elon Musk later hinted a new sign of hope when he stated that Tesla would rethink accepting Bitcoin payments once 50% of the Bitcoin network’s energy comes from renewable sources. Currently, unlike Thedéen most critics have no issue with the clean energy usage involving Bitcoin mining.
Erik Thedéen, the vice-chairman of the European Securities and Markets Authority, has renewed fresh calls for widespread ban on Bitcoin mining. In an interview with The Financial Times media outlets, Thedéen raised concerns over the increasing use of renewable energy dedicated for Bitcoin mining. The regulator described Bitcoin mining as a national threat for his native country Sweden and warned that cryptocurrency mining poses a risk to meeting climate change goals enshrined in the Paris Agreement. Thedéen has therefore called upon European regulators to consider banning a mining method regarded as ‘proof of work,’ which is mainly used for Bitcoin mining and a few other
cryptocurrencies
Cryptocurrencies
By using cryptography, virtual currencies, known as cryptocurrencies, are nearly counterfeit-proof digital currencies that are built on blockchain technology. Comprised of decentralized networks, blockchain technology is not overseen by a central authority.Therefore, cryptocurrencies function in a decentralized nature which theoretically makes them immune to government interference. The term, cryptocurrency derives from the origin of the encryption techniques that are employed to secure the networks which are used to authenticate blockchain technology. Cryptocurrencies can be thought of as systems that accept online payments which are denoted as “tokens.” Tokens are represented as internal ledger entries in blockchain technology while the term crypto is used to depict cryptographic methods and encryption algorithms such as public-private key pairs, various hashing functions, and an elliptical curve. Every cryptocurrency transaction that occurs is logged in a web-based ledger with blockchain technology.These then must be approved by a disparate network of individual nodes (computers that maintain a copy of the ledger). For every new block generated, the block must first be authenticated and confirmed ‘approved’ by each node, which makes forging the transactional history of cryptocurrencies nearly impossible. The World’s First CryptoBitcoin became the first blockchain-based cryptocurrency and to this day is still the most demanded cryptocurrency and the most valued. Bitcoin still contributes the majority of the overall cryptocurrency market volume, though several other cryptos have grown in popularity in recent years.Indeed, out of the wake of Bitcoin, iterations of Bitcoin became prevalent which resulted in a multitude of newly created or cloned cryptocurrencies. Contending cryptocurrencies that emerged after Bitcoin’s success is referred to as ‘altcoins’ and they refer to cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Peercoin, Namecoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Stellar, and Dash. Cryptocurrencies promise a wide range of technological innovations that have yet to be structured into being. Simplified payments between two parties without the need for a middle man is one aspect while leveraging blockchain technology to minimize transaction and processing fees for banks is another. Of course, cryptocurrencies have their disadvantages too. This includes issues of tax evasion, money laundering, and other illicit online activities where anonymity is a dire ingredient in solicitous and fraudulent activities.
By using cryptography, virtual currencies, known as cryptocurrencies, are nearly counterfeit-proof digital currencies that are built on blockchain technology. Comprised of decentralized networks, blockchain technology is not overseen by a central authority.Therefore, cryptocurrencies function in a decentralized nature which theoretically makes them immune to government interference. The term, cryptocurrency derives from the origin of the encryption techniques that are employed to secure the networks which are used to authenticate blockchain technology. Cryptocurrencies can be thought of as systems that accept online payments which are denoted as “tokens.” Tokens are represented as internal ledger entries in blockchain technology while the term crypto is used to depict cryptographic methods and encryption algorithms such as public-private key pairs, various hashing functions, and an elliptical curve. Every cryptocurrency transaction that occurs is logged in a web-based ledger with blockchain technology.These then must be approved by a disparate network of individual nodes (computers that maintain a copy of the ledger). For every new block generated, the block must first be authenticated and confirmed ‘approved’ by each node, which makes forging the transactional history of cryptocurrencies nearly impossible. The World’s First CryptoBitcoin became the first blockchain-based cryptocurrency and to this day is still the most demanded cryptocurrency and the most valued. Bitcoin still contributes the majority of the overall cryptocurrency market volume, though several other cryptos have grown in popularity in recent years.Indeed, out of the wake of Bitcoin, iterations of Bitcoin became prevalent which resulted in a multitude of newly created or cloned cryptocurrencies. Contending cryptocurrencies that emerged after Bitcoin’s success is referred to as ‘altcoins’ and they refer to cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Peercoin, Namecoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Stellar, and Dash. Cryptocurrencies promise a wide range of technological innovations that have yet to be structured into being. Simplified payments between two parties without the need for a middle man is one aspect while leveraging blockchain technology to minimize transaction and processing fees for banks is another. Of course, cryptocurrencies have their disadvantages too. This includes issues of tax evasion, money laundering, and other illicit online activities where anonymity is a dire ingredient in solicitous and fraudulent activities.
Read this Term. Instead, he advocates for the use of ‘proof of stake’ as a better energy efficient alternative.
Both Bitcoin and Ether rely on the ‘proof of work’ method, which requires all participants on the blockchain network to verify transactions. Miners who use sprawling data centers and fast computers to solve complex puzzles, are rewarded for recording transactions with newly minted coins. However, that model requires a huge amount of energy than the ‘proof of stake’ method, where the number of parties signing off trade is much smaller.
Thedéen stated: “The solution is to ban proof of work. Proof of stake has a significantly lower energy profile.”
In November 2021, Melanion Capital, a Paris-based alternative investment firm, also echoed the same sentiment, describing ‘proof-of-work’ mining as “completely misinformed.” However, the investment company further justified that because of the decentralized nature of Bitcoin,there is no lobby group to defend its interest, which “should not be taken as an opportunity to implement measures making the industry illegal for its lack of defensive powers.”
Can Green Bitcoin Mining Become More Sustainable?
The announcement by Thedéen comes at a time when Bitcoin mining recently faced a lot of resistance from various stakeholders. In May last year, electric carmaker Tesla stopped accepting the Bitcoin payments, citing huge amounts of electricity required to mine the cryptocurrency. Few weeks later, China then imposed a ban on the mining of cryptocurrencies such Bitcoin and Ethereum in the region. In September, China renewed a fresh ban as part of its efforts to eliminate cryptocurrency mining operations from the country. Meng Wei, spokesperson for China’s National Development and Reform Commission, a macroeconomic planning agency, stated that
crypto mining
Crypto Mining
Cryptocurrency mining is defined as the process through which the transactions of a digital currency are authenticated then published to blockchain. For every crypto transaction conducted, a crypto miner is in charge of authenticating the information which, if approved, is then updated in the blockchain. Currently, the most popular cryptocurrencies being mined are Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum Classic, Monero, and DASH. How is Cryptocurrency Mined?The process of crypto mining itself involves the solving of complex mathematical equations through the application of cryptographic hash functions. The crypto miner who can solve the solution first can authorize that cryptocurrency transaction while also receiving small cryptocurrency payments in exchange for services rendered. Crypto mining is competitive, tedious, and generally requires that miners possess advanced computers with specialized hardware, increased processing power, and an unwavering internet connection. Electricity, cost of internet, and computing hardware make up the bulk of the expenses that affect the net revenue created through crypto mining. Most cryptocurrency miners generate no than a couple of dollars per day. To perform crypto mining, miners must possess computer hardware that is accompanied by a graphical processing unit (GPU) chip or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). Recommended computer brands include both Windows and Linux since non-Windows systems tend to have a difficult configuration process. Once acquired, crypto miners must ensure that they have a constant internet connection, have a means to cool-off hardware, possess a legitimate cryptocurrency mining software.Miners also often require membership with both online mining pools and cryptocurrency exchanges.
Cryptocurrency mining is defined as the process through which the transactions of a digital currency are authenticated then published to blockchain. For every crypto transaction conducted, a crypto miner is in charge of authenticating the information which, if approved, is then updated in the blockchain. Currently, the most popular cryptocurrencies being mined are Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum Classic, Monero, and DASH. How is Cryptocurrency Mined?The process of crypto mining itself involves the solving of complex mathematical equations through the application of cryptographic hash functions. The crypto miner who can solve the solution first can authorize that cryptocurrency transaction while also receiving small cryptocurrency payments in exchange for services rendered. Crypto mining is competitive, tedious, and generally requires that miners possess advanced computers with specialized hardware, increased processing power, and an unwavering internet connection. Electricity, cost of internet, and computing hardware make up the bulk of the expenses that affect the net revenue created through crypto mining. Most cryptocurrency miners generate no than a couple of dollars per day. To perform crypto mining, miners must possess computer hardware that is accompanied by a graphical processing unit (GPU) chip or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). Recommended computer brands include both Windows and Linux since non-Windows systems tend to have a difficult configuration process. Once acquired, crypto miners must ensure that they have a constant internet connection, have a means to cool-off hardware, possess a legitimate cryptocurrency mining software.Miners also often require membership with both online mining pools and cryptocurrency exchanges.
Read this Term is an extremely harmful industry that jeopardizes China’s pursuit of carob neutrality. However, Elon Musk later hinted a new sign of hope when he stated that Tesla would rethink accepting Bitcoin payments once 50% of the Bitcoin network’s energy comes from renewable sources. Currently, unlike Thedéen most critics have no issue with the clean energy usage involving Bitcoin mining.
Cryptocurrency
