Bitcoin mines cash in on electricity — by devouring it, selling it, even turning it off — and they cause immense pollution. In many cases, the public pays a price.
New research shows that China’s Bitcoin ban has sent the process of creating new coins, known as mining, to countries where it uses far less renewable energy.
The original and most popular crypto, Bitcoin, is energy-intensive by design, "mined" by millions of high-powered computers around the world. That puts enthusiasts in a tough position.
The company’s stock market arrival establishes Bitcoin and other digital currencies in the traditional financial landscape. It also elevates a technology with astonishing environmental costs.
