Mineração de criptomoedas: consumo de energia e meio ambiente.

Abstract

This work aims to present a relationship between the cryptocurrency transaction process and the emission of greenhouse gases, which stems from the process carried out through blockchain technology, which uses a function known as "Proof of Work" to ensure security between cryptocurrency block transactions. However, the process requires significant computational power and a lengthy processing time. Thus, miners work with numerous computational machines in an attempt to ensure the highest number of successful generations, thereby receiving a reward in newly created cryptocurrency. Through this validation process, it can be observed that the activity demands a high energy consumption. Therefore, this work will employ a literature review methodology with the objective of relating cryptocurrency mining processes to the emission of polluting gases, using the energy bases of each of the three main countries, along with an explanation of the process of mining crypto assets.