What is the environmental impact of cryptocurrency mining?

After my first year mining in a small closet, I watched my electricity bill spike and the room heat up like a tiny furnace. I live in a region where the grid runs on a coal-heavy mix, so every new rig meant more carbon dioxide released into the air. It hit me when the monthly bill showed a big chunk of power used during peak hours, and a neighbor mentioned the plant down the road coughing out smoke. I did my own math: the energy I burned for a single rig in a month could run a fridge for weeks, not to mention the waste heat.

I shifted tactics: I moved to a shed with a solar array and used a high-efficiency miner, plus a smart switch that only runs during sunny hours. I also joined a mining pool that prioritizes miners on green energy suppliers, and I started to recycle and repurpose heat for space heating in winter. Now I track energy mix, keep hardware under 70% utilization, and plan to offset the rest. If you’re thinking about mining, start with where your electricity comes from and how to minimize waste.

From my mining rig, electricity use is high; shifting to renewables and efficient hardware reduced footprint, but grid demand and e-waste still pose significant environmental challenges.