Bitcoin operates on a proof-of-work mining model, meaning that miners around the world run high-powered computers to simultaneously create new bitcoin and validate transactions.
The rebuttal letter says, data centers that contain “miners” are no different than data centers owned and operated by Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, and Microsoft.
“It would be very unusual for the EPA to regulate the kind of computation that’s occurring within a data center.
The letter cites estimates that bitcoin mining alone produces 30,700 tons of electronic waste annually.
The note to the EPA this morning refutes the e-waste claim, saying that legislators cited a widely criticized research study that makes bold assumptions about the depreciation timeline for mining rigs.