Economist and cryptocurrency/blockchain specialist Alex de Vries joined me to discuss his research into the energy-consumptive cryptocurrency Bitcoin, the most popular cryptocurrency in the world at the present moment. I asked de Vries to elaborate on how Bitcoin and blockchain work—particularly Bitcoin “mining” and transactions—his research into the disturbing amounts of energy required to keep Bitcoin functioning and growing, Bitcoin's growing environmental footprint, and what these trends mean for the future for Bitcoin and decentralized cryptocurrencies more generally.

// Episode notes: https://www.lastborninthewilderness.com/episodes/alex-de-vries

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