Cryptocurrencies
Bitcoin Miners Seek to Go Nuclear to Address Environmental Woes
- Partnership aims to use fission reactors to supply energy
- Nuclear-powered Bitcoin mining is still likely years away
This article is for subscribers only.
Amid a heated debate over Bitcoin’s environmental toll, two companies say they have an answer on mitigating some of the negative effects: Nuclear energy.
Power startup Oklo Inc. said it’s partnering with Bitcoin mining and hosting firm Compass Mining to introduce advanced fission to the energy-intensive process of minting new coins. It’s an effort, the companies say, to reduce fossil-fuel emissions from Bitcoin mining and to diversify energy sources used by the miners, who compete to verify transactions in exchange for new coins.