International
Bitcoin's energy consumption 'equals that of Switzerland'─── 07:06 Thu, 04 Jul 2019
Bitcoin uses as much energy as the whole of Switzerland, a new online tool from the University of Cambridge shows.
The tool makes it easier to see how the crypto-currency network's energy usage compares with other entities.
However, one expert argued that it was the crypto-currency's carbon footprint that really mattered.
Currently, the tool estimates that Bitcoin is using around seven gigawatts of electricity, equal to 0.21% of the world's supply.
That is as much power as would be generated by seven Dungeness nuclear power plants at once.
Over the course of a year, this equates to roughly the same power consumption as Switzerland.
"We want to use comparisons that set the narrative," said the tool's co-creator Michel Rauchs, from the university.
"Visitors to the website can make up their own mind as to whether it seems large or small."
