Bitcoin wastes a lot of energy. I agree. It is basically a mechanism to turn energy into something analogous to money.

However, people do not generally live where there is a lot of potential to generate green energy. Wind, solar, geothermal, nuclear all generally work best far away from heavily populated areas (this is not always the case). Additionally, wind + solar are highly variable.

Per unit of energy renewable energy will always be more cost effective than fossil fuels in the long run, but there is a high fixed cost at present.

The more sources that can consume energy in remote areas the more incentives there are to build renewable energy sources.

Thus cryptocurrencies like bitcoin are a net positive for building green energy sources in the long term.

  • jet@hackertalks.comEnglish
    11·
    3 days ago

    where only adults can have accounts (18 or 21 years old or whatever), then 5 year olds won’t even have the right to go buy a simple candy bar, and high school students won’t have any financial experience to even get started in life after they graduate.

    That’s like saying only adults are allowed to use money. In a world with digital money, of course children will have to be able to use digital money.

    • over_clox@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      3 days ago

      Show me evidence that children are allowed to use crypto, or that they can even remember enough of the alphabet to remember their password…

      • jet@hackertalks.comEnglish
        11·
        3 days ago

        evidence children are allowed to use crypto? They can use phones and tablets, the UI on crypto is just an app. Therefore they can use crypto.

        Even seen a kid with a few coins buy candy? Ever see a kid use a tap to pay?

        I’m not sure where your ideas of “allowed” are coming from, but in reality everybody participates in the economy however its transacted.