方舟 Ark 組隊 Square 發布研究：打破迷思，為何「比特幣挖礦」會對地球環境有益？

方舟 Ark 組隊 Square 發布研究：打破迷思，為何「比特幣挖礦」會對地球環境有益？

雖然加密貨幣挖礦頻頻大量消耗地球能源的爭議遭受抨擊，但方舟投資（Ark Invest）執行長凱瑟琳・伍德（Cathie Wood） 卻反駁此說法。她認為此舉反而對地球是有利的，透過挖礦不僅可以推動對太陽能未來的投資，同時也改變比特幣挖礦產業整體的能源結構。

方舟投資是一家全球資產管理公司，愛好投資創新產業與爆發性潛力公司。這家位於紐約的公司最近發布了一項研究，指出加密貨幣實際上是可以通過使用再生能源來減少碳足跡排放。

隨著可再生能源的提升，加密貨幣挖礦對環境的破壞將比最初想像的要少得多。方舟投資研究也發現，比特幣生態系統消耗的電量其實不到傳統銀行系統所需的 10%。

ARK：比特幣挖礦有助太陽能投資

挖礦所需的電力能源耗損與環境排放等議題一直是批評者主要環繞的一大致命傷。花旗集團最近也表示，比特幣挖礦的耗電量自 2015 年以來已提升逾 66 倍。

美國銀行最近的一份報告發現，比特幣挖礦所使用的能源與已開發國家的能源相當，甚至可以與美國進出口公司和康菲石油公司等公司所產生的排放量相比。BCA Research Inc. 則表示，對環境的擔憂可能會隨著時間的流逝稀釋比特幣的價值。

站在其對立面，伍德近日發表了推文表示，根據 ARK 研究總監布雷特．溫頓（Brett Winton）與 Square 團隊合作進行的研究，比特幣挖礦能助攻可再生能源的採用。

在方舟聯合 Square 的研究中，我們正在打破比特幣挖礦有害環境的迷思。在加密貨幣挖礦、能源儲存以及 AI 科技互相結合的過程中，挖礦的可再生能源利用度很可能加速！

In a research collaboration with $SQ, @yassineARK, @wintonARK, and @skorusARK debunk the myth that #Bitcoin mining is damaging the environment. Instead, as crypto mining, energy storage, and AI technologies converge, the adoption of renewable energy is likely to accelerate! https://t.co/EmMy1jXGlL — Cathie Wood (@CathieDWood) April 22, 2021

同時，大型公司也紛紛開始尋找減少碳足跡的解決方案。例如 Argo 區塊鏈最近宣布了一個綠色採礦池，該池僅採用再生能源以及水力發電電力。

方舟則認為，比特幣挖礦可以鼓勵對太陽能系統的投資，在不改變電力成本的條件下，使「可再生能源」產生更高比例的電網電力，且近一步改變全球比特幣挖礦能源結構。

ARK 研究總監溫頓在報告中寫道：

「有了比特幣，在平衡狀態下，全球能從可再生、無碳能源中產生更多的電力」。

溫頓進一步指出，如果排除比特幣挖礦，依照我們的模型，太陽能只能提供 40% 的電網電力；但是，如果將比特幣挖礦整合進太陽能系統（太陽能＋電池）中，我們相信能源供應商可以在電價和比特幣價格之間發揮套利作用，並出售「過剩」的太陽能，在不減損盈利能力的情況下，可以幾乎滿足電網電力的所有需求。

不過眾所週知，ARK 對於比特幣到最近上市的交易所 Coinbase 的投資皆可謂相當積極。ARK 基金仍在每日加倉 Coinbase 的股票。截至 26 日，ARK Invest 旗下基金已持有 221,167 股 Coinbase 股票。

（本文由 動區動趨 授權轉載；首圖來源：pixabay）

延伸閱讀：

標普推出加密貨幣指數 將Bitcoin、以太幣引入華爾街｜香港01｜財經快訊

撰文： 黃文琪 最後更新日期： 2021-05-05 14:55

標普道瓊指數公司宣布，推出全新數碼資產指數系列，包括追蹤Bitcoin價格的S&P Bitcoin Index（SPBTC）、追蹤以太幣價格的S&P Ethereum Index（SPETH），以及同時追蹤上述兩者價格的S&P Cryptocurrency MegaCap Index（SPCMC，加密貨幣超大型指數）。

標普表示，數碼資產指數有助投資者更易進入興起中的數碼資產市場，同時有助在這個相當投機市場，減低相關的風險。而加密貨幣指數將採用「公平市場定價」（Fair Market Value Pricing）作為估值方法，並非以美元做衡量。

標普指出，傳統金融市場及數碼資產不再是互相排斥的市場，隨著加密貨幣變得主流，投資者有渠道獲取可靠、透明的定價數據，該行展望將進一步擴闊數碼資產指數並帶來更高透明度。

金融資訊與統計數據供應商標普全球（S&P Global）表示，下半年將會擴大指數名單，列入更多數位貨幣，以及推出更多追蹤不同市值或市場的加密貨幣的指數，例如大型市值加密貨幣指數。

據CoinDesk，Bitcoin現報每枚54,137美元，日內跌幅3.45%；以太幣現報每枚3,237美元，日內跌幅4.17%。Dogecoin（狗狗幣）現報每枚0.67美元，日內升幅為55%。

New Chia cryptocurrency promises to be greener than Bitcoin, but may drive up hard drive prices

It has been a big year for cryptocurrency. Bitcoin is worth six times what it was 12 months ago, and the joke currency Dogecoin has seen a hundredfold increase in price. A boom in “non-fungible tokens”, or NFTs – tradable tokens based on the same technology as cryptocurrency – is transforming the art market.

With this growth has come renewed scrutiny, with critics attacking Bitcoin in particular as a speculative bubble that uses vast amounts of electricity and produces no real value.

A new cryptocurrency called Chia, which has just begun trading, sets out to remedy these flaws while upholding cryptocurrency’s promise of a secure, decentralised form of payment.

Chia is the brainchild of Bram Cohen, who invented the BitTorrent peer-to-peer filesharing system. He claims it will be more reliable than other cryptocurrencies, and more environmentally friendly too.

What is cryptocurrency?

Unlike traditional currencies such as the dollar or euro, which are issued by central banks and rely on trust in governments, cryptocurrencies rely on a decentralised database called a blockchain, secured by sophisticated cryptographic tools.

The first cryptocurrency was Bitcoin, released in 2009, and today there are at least 5,922 cryptocurrencies available. Bitcoin is still by far the biggest; the total value of all Bitcoin now in existence is some US$1.2 trillion.

Read more: Demystifying the blockchain: a basic user guide

Despite this booming popularity, very few retailers accept cryptocurrency as payment.

Governments around the world are also exploring digital currencies. The Bank of England is hiring a dedicated team to explore the possibilities in this area, while the Australian Stock Exchange is reviewing applications for a cryptocurrency-based exchange-traded fund. Germany is one of the frontrunners in embracing crypto, and is heavily investing in blockchain solutions for institutional investment.

How is Chia different from Bitcoin?

Bitcoin and most other cryptocurrencies use a system in which currency is created or “mined” using computers to solve mathematical puzzles. These are known as “proof of work” systems — solving the puzzle is proof that your computer has done a certain amount of work.

Read more: The ‘utopian’ currency Bitcoin is a potentially catastrophic energy guzzler

Doing this work takes specialised hardware and lots of energy. Bitcoin mining has helped create shortages of graphics processors, and by some estimates it is more energy-intensive than copper mining and uses more electricity than some entire countries.

Chia runs on a system that should use less energy, called “proof of space and time”. In this system, users need to show they have reserved a specific amount of hard drive space at a precise time.

So Chia won’t use huge amounts of electricity, and won’t see miners buying up every graphics card in sight. But the requirement for hard drive storage space may lead to other drawbacks.

Hard drive price surge

Even before its official launch, Chia has used more than an exabyte of data storage. That’s the equivalent of about a million of the 1 terabyte hard drives you might find in an average desktop computer.

According to the South China Morning Post, hard drive prices in China have begun to soar as Chia miners stockpile storage. The price of 12-terabyte drives has increased by 59% since Chia was announced in February this year, and most professional-quality hard drives with more than 8 terabytes of capacity are sold out.

Vietnam is also seeing hard drive shortages as a result of China’s Chia craze.

Shutterstock

We may well see similar effects in other countries in the not too distant future. At present, Chia lacks the name recognition and celebrity endorsements that have helped the likes of Bitcoin and Dogecoin to soar, but it has a clear cost advantage.

We can expect cryptocurrency miners will be inclined to try Chia, as a cheaper option than established cryptocurrencies. Eventually, hard drive manufacturers may also revise their prices to increase their own revenue.

Time will tell how Chia ends up performing on the market. If it takes off, we can expect a boom in hard drive prices. But on the flipside, it might also mean graphics processor prices come back down.