At the recent World Digital Mining Summit (WDMS) in Hong Kong, leading Bitcoin mining companies emphasized efficiency and renewable energy integration as top priorities.
Bitmain unveiled its next-gen Antminer S21 and S21 Hydro ASICs, touting major efficiency improvements. The S21 hits 200 TH/s at 17.5 J/T, while the S21 Hydro achieves 335 TH/s at 16 J/T. With mining costs rising ahead of the 2024 halving, energy efficiency is now paramount.
Mining firms also detailed plans to tap more renewable energy sources. Panelists from Terrawulf, Core Scientific, CleanSpark and Iris Energy noted the industry’s broader shift toward sustainability. As Terrawulf COO Nazar Khan explained, Bitcoin miners are increasingly “locating in places where renewable energy development is happening.”
The upcoming halving will slash block rewards, so miners must offset with efficiency gains or cheaper renewable power to stay profitable. Bitmain’s more energy-efficient hardware helps, but miners are also turning to immersion cooling, firmware tweaks, and low-cost renewables.
This aligns with miners now pushing back against claims that Bitcoin is environmentally destructive. As professor Haitian Lu stated, “Bitcoin mining is promoting renewable energy adoption in many areas.” By providing an economic incentive for renewables and balancing grid demand, miners are supporting the broader energy transition.
With major miners opting for greener operations, utilizing highly efficient new hardware, and tapping low-cost sustainable power, the sector aims to bolster profitability while transforming Bitcoin into an ESG-friendly asset. The WDMS demonstrated an industry embracing this new sustainability-driven era.
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