Bitcoin and the environment - friends or enemies?

GB Market Commentary 31/08/2022

by Marcus Sotiriou

Whilst Bitcoin hovers around $20,000, Bitcoin mining is becoming more and more sustainable. It has been reported that around half a dozen Colorado-based gas and oil companies are teaming up with bitcoin miners in order to implement gas-to-Bitcoin flare mitigation solutions. This is after Colorado banned gas flaring, venting, and the release of raw gas into the atmosphere in November 2020.

It has also been reported that the technology used reduces 99.8% of methane compared to 93% for traditional flaring, all whilst the gas and oil companies are being rewarded with a significant amount of Bitcoin.

In addition, crypto farms in Russia are being supplied with electricity generated by small power plants, which burn associated petroleum gas (APG). APG is a by-product of the extraction of black gold. This does not cost anything for oil companies, as they are required to dispose of APG anyway. but now they can earn extra revenue from APG.

The ability for oil and gas companies to power Bitcoin miners with by products of their operations, consequently leading to more revenue whilst benefiting the environment, is a great advert for Bitcoin’s future.

Indonesia tech giant enters crypto scene

On Monday, it was announced that Indonesia’s largest tech company, GoTo Gojek Tokopedia (GOTO), has purchased a local crypto exchange Kripto Maksima Koin, paying 124.84 billion rupiah ($8.38 million). This could be a significant milestone for crypto adoption in Indonesia, as the tech firm contributes to more than 2% to Indonesia's GDP of $1 trillion.