El Salvador Mines 474 BTC with Volcano Geothermal Energy

As an analyst with a background in energy and finance, I find El Salvador’s experiment with Bitcoin mining using geothermal energy from the Tecapa volcano to be an intriguing development. The country’s innovative approach to harnessing its natural resources for cryptocurrency mining is both environmentally friendly and economically beneficial.


El Salvador’s foray into cryptocurrency is gaining momentum, both figuratively and literally. The Central American nation has reportedly mined over 474 bitcoins from Tecapa volcano over the past three years using the geothermal energy derived from the volcano. This eco-friendly approach has significantly boosted El Salvador’s digital currency reserves, currently valued at approximately $354 million.

As a researcher studying the energy sector, I’ve come across intriguing information about the Nayib Bukele administration’s initiative to utilize a portion of the geothermal capacity from El Salvador’s volcano for cryptocurrency mining. They have hired approximately 300 specialists to tap into 1.5 MW of the volcano’s total 102 MW geothermal capacity for this purpose, which equates to about 5%. This is a significant step towards exploring alternative energy sources for mining and reducing the carbon footprint associated with this activity.

This radical way has generated a further $29 million since 2021. Now, El Salvador has national bitcoin reserves that have reached 5750 bitcoins, which is a great figure. Nevertheless, this up-going tendency was preceded by a heated debate in 2021 about the decision to make bitcoin legal tender alongside the US dollar. The IMF opposed this decision because of the cryptocurrency’s volatility.

The volcanic Bitcoin experiment in El Salvador raises intriguing queries about the future direction of cryptocurrency mining. Does the country’s reliance on geothermal energy mark a shift towards a greener crypto industry? Certainly, El Salvador has the advantage of clean energy for its mining operations. However, the environmental consequences of large-scale Bitcoin mining in other regions remain a significant concern.

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2024-05-15 04:52