Why Bitcoin Mining Matters More Than You Think

Mining farms are flexible consumers of power – they can shut down or restart almost instantly. That makes them valuable partners for renewable grids, which need adaptable demand to balance fluctuating supply. The sector’s flexible energy demand, geographic mobility, and growing symbiosis with renewable and stranded power make it an underappreciated asset within modern electricity grids.

Some miners already run on surplus hydropower or capture flare gas that would otherwise be wasted. Others repurpose their waste heat to warm greenhouses and buildings. In this way, mining can support rather than compete with the energy transition.

Beyond the environmental debate, there’s also a geopolitical layer. Where Bitcoin mining happens, and who controls it, matters. Control over hash rate is increasingly viewed through the “prism of national resilience”. If most mining were concentrated in a single country, that nation could, in theory, influence how the global network functions.

Thus, keeping mining geographically diverse is a matter of strategic autonomy and technological sovereignty. In plain terms, it’s about ensuring no single state dominates the backbone of a decentralised financial system.