Environment

The most promising carbon offset programs can still wither and die from financing distress. Blockchain technology can help them survive and bear fruit.

$1 trillion in capital is needed to fight climate change, but investment money is sitting on the sidelines, going unused. How can we close this funding gap?

Global warming and rising sea levels are threatening to submerge countries like Maldives and Kiribati. Can blockchain technology help avert disaster?

As Ripple receives an in-principle approval for Singapore’s digital payment license, institutional investors continue to look toward Bitcoin ETFs.

Electric vehicles remain rare in developing countries because of high costs and ‘range anxiety,’ writes George Cox of eTukTuk. Here’s how blockchain technology can remove those barriers.

Critics have long slammed Bitcoin mining for its enormous carbon footprint. But what if all the heat that miners emit can be sustainably powered and reused?

Renewable energy is plagued by financing difficulties, but blockchain technology can bridge the sector’s funding gaps, writes Brianna Welsh of Reneum.

U.S. cryptocurrency miners would be required to report greenhouse gas emissions under a new bill submitted to the Senate, reflecting criticism the industry is adding to use of fossil fuels blamed for global warming.

New York became the first U.S. state to enact a temporary ban on new cryptocurrency mining permits at fossil fuel plants, despite lobbying against the measure. 

How can we utilize blockchain technologies to fight climate change as it continues to worsen?

The Bitcoin white paper, published 14 years ago this day, launched an industry that is now subsidizing clean energy and turning waste into digital gold, writes Will Szamosszegi of Sazmining.

Genesis 2.0 aims to explore tokenized carbon credits and IoT facilities to monitor green bond issuers’ emission-reducing commitment.

Ripple Labs Inc., the firm whose payment network is powered by the self-described carbon-neutral cryptocurrency token XRP, has partnered with Web3 climate startup Thallo and various other companies to build a carbon credit market on the blockchain.  See related article: SEC opposes motions from two firms seeking to back Ripple in XRP lawsuit Fast facts […]

Could blockchain – despite it’s high carbon emissions, also be part of the fight against climate change? We’ll take a closer look at that in this episode of The Daily Forkast.

Welcome to The Daily Forkast – September 15, 2022 – presented by Megha Chaddah. Coming up on today’s show: Ethereum’s Merge is complete. Indian women start to plug into cryptocurrency trading. And finally, can the crypto world shrug off carbon footprint concerns? We’ll have more on those stories — and other news shaping the cryptocurrency […]

White House says carbon footprint of crypto industry does not align with goals to decarbonize the economy.

A number of U.S. lawmakers urged the country’s energy and environmental protection authorities to mandate that cryptocurrency miners disclose data on energy use, as seven of the largest mining companies were found to use as much power as all of the homes in Houston. See related article: Bitcoin lobbyists rebut ‘misconceptions’ over environmental impact Fast […]

The Victor Smorgon Group has used ANZ Banking Group’s Australian dollar-pegged stablecoin, A$DC, to purchase tokenized carbon credits in a transaction facilitated by crypto asset investment firm ZeroCap. See related article: Australian crypto industry watches as sole trader charges two top banks with ‘debanking’ Fast facts The carbon credits were tokenized to create digital security […]

Did you know that the supply chain is responsible for 90% of companies’ environmental impact? This is because our fragmented logistics process doesn’t account for the environmental cost of the products. Can blockchain help create a global environmental standard? Find out in this Forkast video explainer.  What you’ll learn: How blockchain can track the environmental […]

Chinese authorities have fined a hydropower plant in Central China’s Hubei province 43,493 yuan (US$6,528) for “illegally supplying electricity to virtual currency mining operations,” as the country continues to crack down on cryptocurrency operations. See related article: Beijing banned crypto mining, so China miners went underground Fast facts In addition to the fine, the authorities […]

Blockchain-based payments network Ripple announced its plans to invest US$100 million in climate-focused fintechs and carbon removal technology for the modernization of carbon markets, the company said in a press release.  See related article: How blockchain is solving the climate crisis Fast facts The funding will also continue to support new functionality and developer tools […]

More crypto players are eyeing the UAE as a hub. Meanwhile, a mysterious map sends Pudgy Penguin NFTs skyrocketing.

Ethereum’s transition to proof-of-stake promises to dramatically lower energy consumption, curbing greenhouse gas emissions that would require an annual offset by a forest roughly the size of Belgium.

Chinese state-backed real estate giant Greenland Group has formed a partnership, through its financial arm, with Singapore-based digital securities exchange MetaVerse Green Exchange (MVGX), to offer cross-border digital carbon credits trading services. See related article: China eyes blockchain for carbon trading Fast facts The partnership will allow accredited, institutional investors to trade digital carbon credits […]

Around 4 million trees are required to offset the nearly 240 million kilograms of carbon dioxide produced by the CryptoKitties non-fungible token (NFT) collection, according to research by NFT Club, an NFT education company.  See related article: ​​NFTs and music: Is the fan outcry over NFTs’ environmental impact warranted? Fast facts Sorare, Axie Infinity, Art […]

The European parliament has scrapped wording from proposed legislation that would have banned cryptocurrencies that rely on the proof-of-work (PoW) consensus mechanism, like Bitcoin. See related article: How serious is the threat of Bitcoin mining to the environment? Fast facts The European Parliament member in charge of spearheading the bill known as the Markets in […]

K-pop fans are waging online campaigns against their favorite artists over NFTs, denouncing the technology’s carbon footprint. How polluting are NFTs?

As the pushback over environmental concerns of the blockchain industry continues, a recent report by Solana says that a single transaction on the network uses less energy than just two Google searches. Fast facts Completed under the guidance of an independent energy and climate advisor, Solana’s November Energy Report found that a single Solana transaction […]

As the debate over cryptocurrency’s carbon footprint rages on, leading bitcoin miner Blockstream is developing new zero-carbon Bitcoin mining facilities in partnership with Australia-based financial services giant Macquarie Group, according to a company blog post. Fast facts The first pilot site will be in the U.S. where Blockstream will leverage Macquarie’s experience in green investments […]

As ESG drives more corporate agendas, Sonic Capital’s Sphere aims to provide access to blockchain investment opportunities toward a greener future.

IBM Japan, Mitsui Chemicals and Nomura Research Institute have announced a new consortium to explore how blockchain technology can be used to create better plastic recycling methods, according to a press release from the NRI. Fast facts Making new plastics from recycled plastics is an exact process that requires knowing the specific chemical makeup of […]

Optimum Mining Host-Black Rock Petroleum plan comes as Canaan seeks greener operations through Czech partnership.

As Bitcoin’s carbon footprint continues to make ESG investors uneasy, a new clean-energy crypto mining ETF aims to allay their environmental concerns.

As the world grapples with crypto mining’s carbon footprint, Nischal Shetty of WazirX examines the technical and regulatory solutions.

Crypto exchange Gemini has bought US$4 million in carbon credits to offset the environmental impact of its Bitcoin holdings

Blockchain technology promotes a circular economy of reuse that is vital to our planet’s future. Leanne Kemp, CEO of Everledger, explains how it works.

France-based PlanetWatch, which records air quality data on Algorand’s blockchain, has launched its first test sensor in Hong Kong.

Ravi Menon, managing director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore, says technologies such as blockchain will help Asian nations to reduce carbon emissions.

Is Bitcoin’s carbon footprint a growing risk to Earth, or is it a red herring? On this year’s United Nations World Environment Day, crypto mining is a hot topic.

Hong Kong-based cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com has announced that it is committed to becoming carbon-negative within 18 months, following carbon-neutral initiatives launched by other Hong Kong-based cryptocurrency exchanges FTX and BitMEX.

Energy regulators in the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan, which has abundant hydropower resources, will hold a seminar on June 2 to assess the province’s cryptocurrency mining industry, fanning hopes among miners that the beleaguered sector may be given a reprieve from its recent hardships in China.

Investors are turning to green alternatives to tackle Bitcoin’s impact on the environment as Indonesia gears up for a CBDC.

Bitcoin has rallied to nearly US$40,000, boosted by tweets from Tesla founder Elon Musk and MicroStrategy CEO Michael Saylor announcing that they have met with North American miners of the cryptocurrency to promote a renewable energy initiative.

Crypto exchange Bybit is launching cloud mining to provide exposure to Ether. What happens when Ethereum moves from proof of work to proof of stake?

The Chinese region of Inner Mongolia is urging members of the public to report all cases of cryptocurrency mining, setting up a reporting hotline, an office address and an email address to solicit tips for law enforcement authorities.

A dispute over a Bitcoin mine’s environmental impact leads to a push to ban crypto mines in New York state. Will other places follow Albany’s lead?

With Inner Mongolia banning crypto-mining and Xinjiang expected to soon follow, China’s crypto miners are turning to green energy or moving overseas.

Binance announces its upcoming launch of an NFT marketplace while South Korean regulator asks staff to disclose personal crypto investments.

The Crypto Climate Accord — a joint effort that includes World Economic Forum, ConsenSys and Ripple — is aiming for net-zero crypto emissions by 2040.

From institutions wanting carbon neutral Bitcoins, to tokenizing carbon credits — these are the latest green crypto trends in this region.

As we observe Earth Day, let’s not scapegoat cryptocurrency. The truth about renewable energy and electricity use by banking and gold may surprise you.

Researchers did a United Nations ‘sustainability audit’ of technology firm PALO IT and discussed findings. What can other companies learn from this?

As interest in green bonds grow around the world, Asia is emerging as a hotbed of sustainable finance. Here’s why China will be leading the way.

Blockchain technology is spurring more carbon credit trading while lowering costs for young investors to get involved, says Stefan Rust of Sonic Capital, in a special Forkast.News interview.

Can tokenizing investments in carbon trading help the world achieve Paris Agreement goals? Stefan Rust of Sonic Capital explains in a Forkast.News Q&A.

Bitcoin and crypto mining now use more energy than some nations. To help lead fintech into a greener future, Ripple pledges to be carbon net-zero by 2030.

A co-founder of the original Earth Day urges world leaders to not be complacent about the temporary dip in emissions and lose sight of urgent climate goals.