[wyager]

Good luck getting anything like that into a cryptosystem.

Do you actually understand the utility of proof-of-work? Whenever someone proposes something silly like "proof of recycling" or "proof of solar power" I can't imagine they do.

[rspeer]

I understand the negative utility of proof-of-work. It takes useful resources and turns them into nothing.

I didn't claim it would be straightforward to make a cryptosystem whose mining process causes a benefit instead of a harm. I didn't claim I had such an idea. But let's rank some options in order of goodness:

1. Figure out a cryptocurrency with a real-world benefit

2. Don't use cryptocurrencies

3. Use cryptocurrencies

You may have chosen the worst option. I'm content with option #2.

[wyager]

> I didn't claim I had such an idea

Hint: it's impossible.

But regardless, I seriously doubt that Bitcoin mining actually has negative utility even after taking into account any negative externalities introduced by the relatively small electricity use from mining. My suspicion is it's more or less negligible compared to manufacturing or transportation.