Exactly how bad is Bitcoin for the environment?

It is Thursday 25th March 2021, the price of Bitcoin is now $57,121. Since the start of the year, the cryptocurrency’s price has risen 99%.. According to Cathie Woods, founder of Ark Investment, Bitcoin’s value can increase between $40,000 and $400,000.

The last two months have seen a lot of discussions about Bitcoin’s impact on the environment. Elon Musk and Bill Gates have shown opposing attitudes about Bitcoin. Tesla has endorsed it by buying $1.5bn in Bitcoin, while Bill Gates has voiced concerns about the environmental damage that Bitcoin mining causes. According to Bill Gates, Bitcoin uses more energy per transaction “than any other method known to mankind” and says he would instead invest in malaria and measles vaccines than Bitcoin.

The differing opinions from the two most influential tech pioneers highlight the polarised views on Bitcoin, its complexity and its ambiguous future.