Hacker News Reader

> At the end of the day you're just having a value disagreement with those of us who are Bitcoin proponents. You don't think the energy is worth what Bitcoin brings the world, while we do.

There are two different points:

* Bitcoin is useful in some way

* Bitcoin 'soaks up' energy that would otherwise be "wasted"

In this thread I am saying there is no such thing as "wasted energy" (regardless of the pros and cons of Bitcoin).

View on HN

When solar or wind is curtailed, I would call that wasted energy?

How many coins were mined in 2023? How many transactions were completed in 2023? What percentage of each used this "wasted energy"? 100%? 75? 35? Other?

And even if mining used only energy/electricity that would otherwise be "wasted", so what? If cryptocurrency mining was never invented in the first place, the energy production would be curtailed because it wouldn't be needed to begin with, and there would be no net loss.

So the production of some (unneeded) energy is curtailed, so what? Not needing energy in the first place is hardly a hardship on society (and the environment).

Reply on news.ycombinator.com