Panelists to examine crypto mining impacts

The environmental and economic impacts of Bitcoin mining will be explored during a Sept. 23 event on campus.

"In the Shadow of Crypto: Taking on Bitcoin Mining" is presented by the Milstein Program in Technology & Humanity and will take place at 5 p.m. in the Hollis E. Cornell Auditorium, Goldwin Smith Hall Room 132.

"The dizzying rise of cryptocurrency in the U.S. has brought with it a new industry - bitcoin mining, where thousands of computers in former gas plants and even abandoned dollar stores solve complex math problems to get rewarded with new coin," said Austin Bunn, associate professor of performing and media arts and director of the Milstein Program in the College of Arts and Sciences. "But this digital innovation comes with real-world consequences."

Bitcoin mining consumes 2.3% of all U.S. electrical demand - as much as Argentina or six million American homes annually - and is on track to hit 8% by 2030. After Texas and Georgia, Upstate New York is the top location for mining operations.

Read the full story on The College of Arts & Sciences website.