A major Chinese bitcoin mining hub is shutting down its cryptocurrency operations

A major Chinese bitcoin mining hub is shutting down its cryptocurrency operations

But because the computers are high-powered, they consume a lot of energy.

These miners run purpose-built computers to solve complex mathematical puzzles that effectively allow a bitcoin transaction to happen. The miners receive bitcoin as a reward and that is the incentive.

Bitcoin is based on a decentralized network, which means it's not issued by a single entity like a central bank. Transactions, recorded on a public ledger called the blockchain, need to be "verified" by miners.

GUANGZHOU, China “” China's Inner Mongolia region plans to ban new cryptocurrency mining projects and shut down existing activity in a bid to cut down on energy-consumption.

Bitcoin mining consumes an estimated 128.84 terrawatt-hour per year of energy “” more than entire countries such as Ukraine and Argentina, according to the Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index, a project of the University of Cambridge.

China accounts for around 65% of all bitcoin mining globally “” Inner Mongolia alone accounts for about 8%, due to its cheap energy. In comparison, the United States accounts for 7.2% of global bitcoin mining.

Not all cryptocurrencies work like bitcoin, however.

Inner Mongolia, located in northern China, failed to meet central government assessment targets regarding energy use in 2019 and was scolded by Beijing. In response,