Will countries ban Bitcoin mining due to environmental concerns?

[LegendaryK]

You know starting from the first time government you and I know better does not what Bitcoin to continue to exist, so any country or place mining farm is situated they will to impose force of rejection of mining processes there. Yes we know that mining of bitcoin consumed a lot energy during the processes of mining, but proven that their is a formidable tax being paid for electricity supply for mining farms of bitcoin i don't think that government is supporting the life of bitcoin because they would have allow it to be.

Actually it depends on the country and their government. They are not all the same dictatorship wanting to shut down anything they cannot control. For example el Salvador government has been accepting bitcoin with open arms, if they could manage some excess electricity they would accept mining with open arms too. There are others like that too. For example the Iranian government has accepted bitcoin mining with open arms too specially since the electricity is by far the cheapest ($0.002 /KWH).

Iran bans bitcoin mining every time their power supply decreases, which is more and more.
Temporary Bans usually become permanent if they keep happening.
Plus no miner will survive only getting power for only 6 months out of the year.

https://techcrunch.com/2022/06/19/iran-to-cut-electricity-to-authorized-crypto-miners-report/

Electricity to all 118 government-authorized mining operators in Iran will be cut off from June 22 ahead of seasonal spikes in power demand,

But the country has also repeatedly halted operations of crypto mining centers.
The government ordered two shutdowns to mitigate pressure on its power infrastructure last year, during which electricity demand hit a record high

New York
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/23/new-york-governor-signs-law-cracking-down-on-bitcoin-mining.html

New York's Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law Tuesday a two-year moratorium on proof-of-work (PoW) cryptocurrency mining.

Any PoW Miner not currently running on 100% renewals , will also not have their license renewed.
So even present PoW miners will be kicked out as their licenses expire.

Industry insiders tell CNBC it could have a domino effect across the U.S.
“Not only is it a clear signal that New York is closed for business to bitcoin miners, it sets a dangerous precedent for singling out a particular industry to ban from energy usage,”

Texas
https://abc13.com/houston-boil-water-notice-city-of-plant-power-outage-what-to-do-under/12502921/

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A boil water notice has been issued for the City of Houston's main water system after a water treatment plant experienced a power outage Sunday morning.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/houston-issues-boil-water-notice-after-treatment-plant-power-outage-2022-11-28/

A ground trip and current overload caused a transformers and an electric feeder to go offline and a backup transformer at a water purification plant failed

Texas is now suffering from Bitcoin PoW miners making their grid unstable.

https://www.thestreet.com/crypto/bitcoin/crypto-mining-strains-energy-grid-and-creates-fresh-demands-for-housing-in-texas

This will put a massive amount of stress on the Texas energy grid," William Magnuson, an expert in cryptocurrency and the law at the Texas A&M Law School told CBS News. "We know the Texas energy grid has had its struggles in the last couple of years, so I do worry about the effects of imposing massive new energy use on a grid that we know is has been relatively unstable."

[joebic541]

I don't think so it will happen. In my country is not ban yet.I hope they don't ban.

[Yatsan]

You know starting from the first time government you and I know better does not what Bitcoin to continue to exist, so any country or place mining farm is situated they will to impose force of rejection of mining processes there. Yes we know that mining of bitcoin consumed a lot energy during the processes of mining, but proven that their is a formidable tax being paid for electricity supply for mining farms of bitcoin i don't think that government is supporting the life of bitcoin because they would have allow it to be.

Actually it depends on the country and their government. They are not all the same dictatorship wanting to shut down anything they cannot control. For example el Salvador government has been accepting bitcoin with open arms, if they could manage some excess electricity they would accept mining with open arms too. There are others like that too. For example the Iranian government has accepted bitcoin mining with open arms too specially since the electricity is by far the cheapest ($0.002 /KWH).

Technological mining does not cause that much harm to environment. It is not literally the same with mining concerning land and minerals. It only uses electicity and ofcourse equipments. If it is only electricity which is concerned, then governments could demand miners to use solar panels. Also, it is another thing if prohibition is directly towards usage of cryptocurrency. An individual can mine Bitcoin and be not allowed to use it for daily transactions, as simple as that. Governments are just wanting taxes and they just cannot do it with currencies other than taxation. Sk if it is mining alone, then I guess it would be a blurry reason for them to ban such activity, especially if it won't be announced and such.

[kro55]

snip

US and Europe are not the judges of the world, just because they ban bitcoin mining doesn't mean other countries will do the same. Countries like El Salvador or the Central African Republic are not superpowers, but they are welcoming bitcoin, bitcoin just needs people to accept it no matter who it is, not necessarily the major powers.

I don't know about Iran but as I know Asian countries, some countries still have cheap electricity despite the current energy crisis. If the US and Europe ban mining, maybe Asia will be a welcome place for miners. It is not possible to completely ban bitcoin mining in the world, as long as bitcoin can be profitable there will be countries that accept it.

[LegendaryK]

US and Europe are not the judges of the world, just because they ban bitcoin mining doesn't mean other countries will do the same. Countries like El Salvador or the Central African Republic are not superpowers, but they are welcoming bitcoin, bitcoin just needs people to accept it no matter who it is, not necessarily the major powers.

I don't know about Iran but as I know Asian countries, some countries still have cheap electricity despite the current energy crisis. If the US and Europe ban mining, maybe Asia will be a welcome place for miners. It is not possible to completely ban bitcoin mining in the world, as long as bitcoin can be profitable there will be countries that accept it.

Asia , China already ban bitcoin PoW miners.

US/ Europe/ Canada PoW bans are coming.

Thinking El Salvador energy grid can succeed where China/US/Europe / Canada could not , is pure delusion.

Africa is just your attempt to make me laugh, South Africa can't even keep the power stable now.
https://www.biznews.com/sa-investing/2022/11/21/eskom-cash-buy-diesel

South Africa’s government said it’s urgently seeking funds to buy diesel needed to fuel auxiliary power plants after the state electricity utility said outages will intensify this week.

Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan met members of Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd.’s board on Sunday amid “serious concerns” about the risk of increased nationwide blackouts in the months ahead, his department, which oversees the utility, said in a statement. The outages are expected to deepen this week.

Bitcoin PoW supporters complete and utter lack of understanding about the weakening power grids is amazing to say the least.

Why don't you claim sri lanka next as a bitcoin miner hub. 
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-63038013

Last week, Sri Lanka increased its daily power outage from 80 minutes to 140 minutes because of a drop in power generating capacity.

Once the US ban bitcoin PoW mining, bitcoin is basically DOA.

[Abiky]

Technological mining does not cause that much harm to environment. It is not literally the same with mining concerning land and minerals. It only uses electicity and ofcourse equipments. If it is only electricity which is concerned, then governments could demand miners to use solar panels. Also, it is another thing if prohibition is directly towards usage of cryptocurrency. An individual can mine Bitcoin and be not allowed to use it for daily transactions, as simple as that. Governments are just wanting taxes and they just cannot do it with currencies other than taxation. Sk if it is mining alone, then I guess it would be a blurry reason for them to ban such activity, especially if it won't be announced and such.

Of course. Governments could force miners to rely on alternative energy sources to reduce carbon emissions as much as possible. But I see they're using the "high energy consumption" narrative as an excuse to get rid of Bitcoin for good. And what better way than banning PoW mining altogether? The EU already banned Bitcoin mining due to "environmental concerns", so what makes you think the US won't do the same as world countries try to fight climate change?

The pressure is already mounting on Bitcoin, as many cryptocurrencies are switching to PoS without second thoughts. Imagine what would happen if Bitcoin were the only PoW cryptocurrency in the world. Most countries will ban it, greatly reducing worldwide adoption. No one knows what the future holds for the cryptocurrency so we can only hope for the best. Just my thoughts

[kro55]

Asia , China already ban bitcoin PoW miners.

China is a great power in Asia, but they are not someone who can command others, other than China, I have not seen any Asian country that bans bitcoin mining, Japan, Korea, or Vietnam...they are all very bitcoin friendly. I just see them giving warning people to be careful when investing in cryptocurrencies but not any complaints about bitcoin mining.

US/ Europe/ Canada PoW bans are coming.



Once the US ban bitcoin PoW mining, bitcoin is basically DOA.

The US still does not have a ban on POW, it seems that it is just your wish. The white house has not announced that it will ban POW. Do you have a link?

[Nrcewker]

Yesterday I saw that the Chinese state banned bitcoin miners in their country, but not because of environmental factors but maybe other factors so that the Chinese government concluded that bitcoin mining in their country was illegal.

In china, cryptos aren’t legal right. So definitely they gonna ban any activity that is connected with cryptos or Bitcoins. Moreover there are many other things which contribute for the environmental degrade. Bitcoin mining isn’t at all coming in 1% of total pollution. Moreover Bitcoin mining can be done via solar energy also, if concerns regarding this is rising. At last this is just an excuse for many countries to prohibit crypto mining. As they cannot regulate Bitcoins, therefore trying their best to ban it.

[binbaro11]

Banning bitcoin mining is not the same as banning bitcoin.

The main mining cost of large-scale mines is not hardware purchase and update, but electricity costs, which is also an important consideration for mine site selection.

In order to maximize profits, some mine owners adopt a mobile operation method and install mining machines in containers or large trucks. Once they find a place with lower electricity costs, they can move at any time.

And now everyone will give priority to wind power and hydropower.

[LegendaryK]

The white house has not announced that it will ban POW. Do you have a link?

https://bitcoinmagazine.com/business/white-house-condemns-energy-use-of-mining-bitcoin

The White House Office of Science and Technology released a report claiming
bitcoin mining negatively impacts the environment and hints towards banning proof-of-work.

The executive order for the ban can come any day since the official report was published.

FYI:
A lot of bitcoiners are completely clueless about power generation.
Solar is only really good for 4 hours daily during the summer, Wind is intermittent.
BTC miners require 24x7 access to insane amounts of electricity, something current renewals can't provide them.
Nuclear is the only solution that could make an attempt at the insane amount of energy miners needs.
But that requires 1000s of new nuclear plants, time to build ~10 years.
BTC does not have 10 years before the ban, my best guess the US / Canada / Europe all Ban PoW mining ~2025 ,
maybe much sooner if too many grid failure s happen.  *New York has already started their own PoW ban.*

[Abiky]

Banning bitcoin mining is not the same as banning bitcoin.

The main mining cost of large-scale mines is not hardware purchase and update, but electricity costs, which is also an important consideration for mine site selection.

In order to maximize profits, some mine owners adopt a mobile operation method and install mining machines in containers or large trucks. Once they find a place with lower electricity costs, they can move at any time.

And now everyone will give priority to wind power and hydropower.

Miners are the ones who support the BTC blockchain. Without them, Bitcoin would simply die. And what better way to destroy Bitcoin than banning PoW mining with the excuse that it's "harmful for the environment"? Governments know they can't stop Bitcoin, so they're coming up with the "high energy consumption" narrative in order to prevent as much people as possible from using it. You can see how they've successfully forced ETH to turn from a PoW chain to PoS. The vast majority of altcoins are abandoning PoW due to fears of government scrutiny. It won't be long before the crypto space becomes extremely centralized, leaving us with Bitcoin as the only "truly decentralized" alternative to Fiat.

It's possible most (if not all) countries will ban Bitcoin because of the reasons mentioned before, but I don't think it'll be the end of the world. Everything will depend on how long Bitcoin will be able to retain its decentralized and censorship-resistant design. With many governments thinking about banning PoW mining, it's likely Bitcoin will be mined in secret for years to come. Who knows what the future holds for Bitcoin and the entire crypto/Blockchain industry? Just my thoughts

[dansus021]

For my perspective not all government will banning bitcoin mining because we already know there is two legal tender country that accepted crypto is elsavador and central Africa I think this two country will not bitcoin mining.

and second now most countries pledged zero carbon emission, if bitcoin using 100% renewable energy it should be fine

[Sang Veronike]

maybe. Everyone is talking about the EU choosing to ban Bitcoin mining right now. For seasonal reasons. Winter uses more energy than spring and summer. Countries all over the world attach great importance to the energy consumption of Bitcoin mining. Miners have been picking areas that are easier to mine. Countries may restrict Bitcoin mining, but not Bitcoin usage.

[Abiky]

For my perspective not all government will banning bitcoin mining because we already know there is two legal tender country that accepted crypto is elsavador and central Africa I think this two country will not bitcoin mining.

and second now most countries pledged zero carbon emission, if bitcoin using 100% renewable energy it should be fine

Exactly. Not every country will ban Bitcoin mining for good. Both El Salvador and Central Africa have embraced Bitcoin with open arms, so it's likely the mining industry will grow in those two countries alone. We're going to have to see if the EU will change its stance towards Bitcoin if PoW mining becomes greener over time. I'm pretty sure the bloc will revert its decision of banning PoW mining if it becomes carbon-neutral. After all, they wouldn't want to miss the huge taxation benefits the mining industry provides.

Rest assured that if the "mining ban" isn't lifted, Bitcoin will carry on as usual. That thanks to its decentralized and censorship-resistant design. If mining hashrate would've been concentrated on a single region, Bitcoin would've been doomed by now. At least, there are a wide number of miners spread throughout the world, making Bitcoin stronger and resilient than ever. Who knows if Bitcoin lasts for generations? Just my thoughts

[fuguebtc]

Exactly. Not every country will ban Bitcoin mining for good. Both El Salvador and Central Africa have embraced Bitcoin with open arms, so it's likely the mining industry will grow in those two countries alone. We're going to have to see if the EU will change its stance towards Bitcoin if PoW mining becomes greener over time. I'm pretty sure the bloc will revert its decision of banning PoW mining if it becomes carbon-neutral. After all, they wouldn't want to miss the huge taxation benefits the mining industry provides.

I think the EU bitcoin mining ban will be temporary as they are having a severe energy problem but once the energy is resolved, everything will be back to normal they will lift the ban. As you said, they won't want to miss out on huge tax revenue because they understand that even their ban won't stop bitcoin and only make miners move to other countries.

Rest assured that if the "mining ban" isn't lifted, Bitcoin will carry on as usual. That thanks to its decentralized and censorship-resistant design. If mining hashrate would've been concentrated on a single region, Bitcoin would've been doomed by now. At least, there are a wide number of miners spread throughout the world, making Bitcoin stronger and resilient than ever. Who knows if Bitcoin lasts for generations? Just my thoughts

This is only true if the ban is only in one US state and EU region, but if bitcoin is banned worldwide, then bitcoin will be destroyed for real.

[Abiky]

I think the EU bitcoin mining ban will be temporary as they are having a severe energy problem but once the energy is resolved, everything will be back to normal they will lift the ban. As you said, they won't want to miss out on huge tax revenue because they understand that even their ban won't stop bitcoin and only make miners move to other countries.

I hope so. Otherwise, Bitcoin would be doomed in terms of mainstream adoption. The more countries turn against PoW mining, the higher the risk of insecurity will be. For some reason, EU countries are pushing the "climate change" narrative targeting Bitcoin's damage to the environment. There may be a hidden agenda to try to destroy Bitcoin completely. If the US joins the train, then it's likely other countries will do the same. Let's see how everything will turn out to be after the Russo-Ukraine crisis comes to an end.

This is only true if the ban is only in one US state and EU region, but if bitcoin is banned worldwide, then bitcoin will be destroyed for real.

A worldwide ban would negatively impact Bitcoin, but not to a point where it'll be destroyed for good. I think some people will still mine BTC in secret just to help support the blockchain (even if it will be illegal to do so). You really can't stop something that's decentralized and censorship-resistant by design.

Of course, it will be much more difficult to get access to Bitcoin when the government is against it. But there will always be a way to circumvent restrictions, allowing Bitcoin to flow freely as usual. Who knows what the future holds for the cryptocurrency?

[Ebede]

maybe. Everyone is talking about the EU choosing to ban Bitcoin mining right now. For seasonal reasons. Winter uses more energy than spring and summer. Countries all over the world attach great importance to the energy consumption of Bitcoin mining. Miners have been picking areas that are easier to mine. Countries may restrict Bitcoin mining, but not Bitcoin usage.

Choosing a bitcoin or burning a Bitcoin in something that we know so I know right where that bitcoin some countries banned bitcoin and some countries also leave Bitcoin but it is very sore on their own rules and regulation they know all the until concerning their country I don't think that is a very big day of contraband in Bitcoin because this information has been circulating the former

[karabiber]

The computing power required to support Bitcoin's underlying network requires a great deal of energy. This leads to criticism of Bitcoin's environmental footprint. I am against the constant portrayal of Bitcoin as the enemy while there are so many things that piss the world off about it. Yes, some energy problems will arise for bitcoin in the future but i think that these facilities that consume huge energy are negligible compared to companies. The amount of energy consumed by the Bitcoin network will increase over the years and the issue of finding solutions with renewable energy will accelerate. Bitcoin will contribute to the use and increase of renewable energy. Bitcoin miners are shifting to places where electricity is cheapest. Because renewable cheap energy power has not been provided yet. Bitcoin will help accelerate the renewable cheap energy network.

[Abiky]

The computing power required to support Bitcoin's underlying network requires a great deal of energy. This leads to criticism of Bitcoin's environmental footprint. I am against the constant portrayal of Bitcoin as the enemy while there are so many things that piss the world off about it. Yes, some energy problems will arise for bitcoin in the future but i think that these facilities that consume huge energy are negligible compared to companies. The amount of energy consumed by the Bitcoin network will increase over the years and the issue of finding solutions with renewable energy will accelerate. Bitcoin will contribute to the use and increase of renewable energy. Bitcoin miners are shifting to places where electricity is cheapest. Because renewable cheap energy power has not been provided yet. Bitcoin will help accelerate the renewable cheap energy network.

I hope miners turn themselves to alternative energy sources just to make Bitcoin more appealing to governments worldwide. I know banks and companies consume a greater amount of energy than the whole Bitcoin network, but governments don't want to admit that because they want to keep away as much people from Bitcoin as possible. Some cryptocurrencies switched to PoS in an effort to become "carbon-neutral", yet they've sacrificed the decentralization of their blockchain networks. PoW would be the only way to ensure decentralization and censorship-resistance because of the way it was designed.

It seems to me that companies are still interested in keeping the mining industry alive, so it's likely PoW will become greener in the future. Who knows what would be of Bitcoin decades from now? Just my thoughts

[NotATether]

Who knows what would be of Bitcoin decades from now?

There will be university-level civics and environmental management classes where they teach students what imbeciles people were for going after a green-turning industry that stops other industries from rampantly polluting the environment.