How Bitcoin mining poisons the air of millions — and what to do about it

In the crypto industry, people love to talk about decentralization, innovation, and freedom. But they rarely address a topic that cannot be ignored: the real impact of mining on human health. And we are not talking about digital threats, but about the most ordinary — and deadly — air pollution.

In April 2025, the scientific journal Nature Communications published a study by a Harvard University team that caused a strong reaction. Scientists asked the question: what happens to air quality when Bitcoin mining scales up at record speed? The answer turned out to be alarming.

What Harvard scientists discovered

The study covered the period from August 2022 to July 2023. During this time, experts examined 34 of the largest mining farms in the United States. Their total energy consumption reached 32.3 TWh — 33% more than the entire city of Los Angeles consumes.

The situation is aggravated by the energy source: 85% of the electricity for these farms came from thermal power plants running on fossil fuels — coal and natural gas.

Because of this, the atmosphere receives PM2.5 — microscopic solid particles less than 2.5 micrometers in size — that are dangerous to health.

PM2.5: invisible but deadly threat

PM2.5 particles are dangerous because they easily penetrate the respiratory system and bloodstream. Their impact is associated with:

• cardiovascular diseases,

• lung diseases,

• dementia,

• increased mortality.

The Harvard study showed that emissions from Bitcoin mining worsened air pollution for nearly 1.9 million Americans. The greatest harm was done to residents of New York, the Houston area, southern Illinois, and Kentucky.

What is especially alarming is that pollution spreads hundreds of kilometers from its source. As a result, people suffer who may not even suspect they are breathing the consequences of mining farms.

Why mining pollutes the air so much

At the core of the problem is colossal energy consumption. Powerful farms operate around the clock, and as long as their energy comes mainly from coal and gas plants, emissions are inevitable. Unlike many industrial enterprises, mining does not produce material goods, but its load on power grids is comparable to that of large factories.

What will happen if nothing changes?

• Increased morbidity and mortality in already vulnerable regions: children, the elderly, and people with chronic illnesses will be hit hardest.

• Overload of the healthcare system: treating diseases caused by pollution will cost the budget more than implementing preventive measures.

• Regulatory vacuum: fine particles know no borders — they move between states, and existing laws do not allow effective punishment of polluters.

Why bans will not solve the problem

The experience of other countries shows that simply banning mining in one region does not reduce global damage. Operators simply move their facilities to where energy is cheaper, but often “dirtier.” This leads to so-called carbon tourism, when the overall environmental footprint even grows.

Moreover, a significant share of mining in the United States is already based in areas with cheap but carbon-intensive energy sources. Moving capacity to even more polluted regions will make the situation critical.

X1 EcoChain: an alternative path that truly works

There is a solution. X1 EcoChain is a practical, eco-friendly architecture for a decentralized network designed to prevent exactly such consequences.

Each X1Node consumes only 3 watts per hour, operates quietly, without water and fans — and at the same time supports a network where data and verification are distributed among participants. This means: no harm to nature — no loss of resilience.

Conclusion
The Harvard study clearly shows — Bitcoin mining does not just consume energy. It poisons the air, damages health, and spreads problems across the country.

But instead of fighting symptoms with bans, it makes sense to develop solutions that balance innovation with ecology. X1 EcoChain is an example of how technologies can be built in a new way — to preserve the future, not destroy it.

The future must be clean. Blockchain — reasonable.

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