[SantalBlush]

Carbon pollution is not just a one-time cost, it is a debt that carries a massive interest rate with it that will be paid for generations. So whatever benefits someone else might reap from Bitcoin, it certainly isn't worth it to me.

[Andrew_nenakhov]

People use way more energy for dumb heating. In my region humans can't survive in winter without it. There is no reason why mining rigs can't be used for 'smart' heating, heat being a byproduct of mining.

It is not done currently only because the energy use of bitcoin is so miniscule compared to other uses, that it's not even worthy to bother yet. Down the road, it'll likely change, but currently complaints about 'massive costs to the environment' are mostly virtue signalling.

[8note]

Resistive heating is still dumb heating.

Smart heating involves heat concentration, not heat production

[SantalBlush]

If the energy use of bitcoin was minuscule while heating a building, and it could generate mining rewards while doing so, then people would be using it for that purpose. They aren't.

[Andrew_nenakhov]

People absolutely do use bitcoin mining for heating. It's just not yet popular enough, and it makes sense only in certain climates.

[SantalBlush]

That's my point. It's not popular because it's not economically viable in many cases. So heating buildings is another thing that Bitcoin is supposed to improve, except it really doesn't.

[notch656a]

Why do you think it would be less economically viable to use mining for rewards + heating rather than just rewards? It's both economically advantageous and arguably slightly less pollutive to offset energy consumption used for heating.

[SantalBlush]

Because professional Bitcoin miners--the ones who are actually getting rewards--are not using rigs in their homes. They make more money by using industrial-level setups, buildings dedicated to mining that are located where the energy, taxes, laws, etc. are most favorable. These miners are the ones making the actual money from Bitcoin, not the hobbyists running a home rig who never mine a single block before their hardware is ruined. Home rigs do not compete with industrial setups on cost, not even when taking heating into account.

"Smart heating" is just one more example of where Bitcoin in theory does not match Bitcoin in reality.