Riot Platforms responds to NYT article on Bitcoin mining

Riot Platforms has responded to claims from The New York Occasions concerning its crypto mining practices, as seen in an announcement on April 10.

Riot contests power use claims

On April 9, the New York Occasions printed an article titled “The Actual-World Value of the Digital Race for Bitcoin,” which described the actions of 34 U.S. Bitcoin mining corporations.

In that piece, Riot was named the most important of these operations. The NYT alleged that Riot used 450 MW of energy, 96% of which got here from fossil fuels, and stated that the agency produced 1.9 million tons of CO2 emissions per yr.

Riot responded by stating that it makes use of energy from the Texas electrical grid, which depends on 24% wind power, 10% nuclear power, and 4% photo voltaic power. Moreover, Riot stated that it operates in rural areas the place wind and photo voltaic are “ample and in any other case wasted” throughout off-peak instances and takes benefit of that out there power.

Riot asserted that its Bitcoin mining operations “don’t generate any greenhouse fuel emissions” and as an alternative use power similar to different information facilities.

Moreover, Riot confronted claims that Bitcoin mining can have an effect on the general power market and its costs. Riot alleged that electrical energy costs are rising for causes that aren’t associated to Bitcoin mining, resembling financial coverage, the Russia-Ukraine battle, and restrictive power insurance policies — a time period usually utilized to the Biden administration.

Riot went on to contest claims concerning the quantity of financial savings that Riot has obtained by collaborating in energy-saving applications, assertions that these applications do hurt to power availability and costs, and claims concerning the infrequency of these applications.

Broader mining trade additionally mentioned

General, Riot stated that the NYT article contained a “false and distorted view” of each its personal firm and the crypto-mining trade extra typically.

The corporate instructed that The New York Occasions ignored information offered by Riot and as an alternative selected to make politically motivated claims. It warned that selectively granting electrical entry to events based mostly on their actions is a “harmful path.”

Varied different members of the crypto group have additionally criticized the article by The New York Occasions.

NYT’s claims are a part of long-standing criticisms about Bitcoin and its power use. Round 2017, information emerged suggesting that Bitcoin mining makes use of as a lot power as sure international locations. Although Bitcoin nonetheless makes use of a considerable amount of power, about half of all Bitcoin mining depends on renewable power, in line with some estimates.

Criticism round power use was prolonged to NFTs when these property turned fashionable in 2021. Nonetheless, Ethereum, which serves as the premise for many NFTs, has discontinued crypto mining. It not depends on aggressive power use to substantiate transactions.