All about cryptocurrency
Although the biggest PoW blockchains consume energy on the scale of medium-sized countries, the annual power demand from proof-of-stake (PoS) blockchains is on a scale equivalent to a housing estate jammin jars free play. The Times identified six “environmentally friendly” cryptocurrencies: Chia, IOTA, Cardano, Nano, Solarcoin and Bitgreen. Academics and researchers have used various methods for estimating the energy use and energy efficiency of blockchains. A study of the six largest proof-of-stake networks in May 2021 concluded:
South Africa, which has seen a large number of scams related to cryptocurrency, is said to be putting a regulatory timeline in place that will produce a regulatory framework. The largest scam occurred in April 2021, where the two founders of an African-based cryptocurrency exchange called Africrypt, Raees Cajee and Ameer Cajee, disappeared with $3.8 billion worth of bitcoin. Additionally, Mirror Trading International disappeared with $170 million worth of cryptocurrency in January 2021.
All about cryptocurrency
Cryptocurrency mining, particularly for Bitcoin, consumes significant amounts of energy. The environmental impact of this energy consumption has raised concerns, leading to discussions about sustainable and eco-friendly alternatives.
The concept of digital currency has been around since the late 20th century, but it wasn’t until 2009 that the first cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, was created. Formed by an anonymous individual or group known as Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin introduced the revolutionary idea of a decentralised, peer-to-peer payment system, laying the foundation for the thousands of cryptocurrencies that exist today.
With cryptocurrencies, on the other hand, discerning which projects are viable can be more challenging. If you have a financial advisor who is familiar with cryptocurrency, it may be worth asking for input.
All about investing in cryptocurrency
It’s important to remember that Bitcoin is different from cryptocurrency in general. While Bitcoin is the first and most valuable cryptocurrency, the market is large — there are thousands of cryptocurrencies. And while some cryptocurrencies have total market valuations in the hundreds of billions of dollars, others are obscure and essentially worthless.
Cryptocurrency is a highly speculative area of the market, and many smart investors have decided to put their money elsewhere. For beginners who want to get started trading crypto, however, the best advice is to start small and only use money that you can afford to lose.
