The use of hydrocarbon fuels in Bitcoin mining has seen a sharp decline over the past 13 years, with the use of coal energy dropping significantly.
The share of coal energy use in Bitcoin (BTC) mining has dropped from 63% in 2011 to 20% in 2024, according to a new report released by the industry organization MiCA Crypto Alliance in collaboration with the risk metrics data platform Nodiens.
In parallel, the share of renewable energy used in Bitcoin mining has steadily increased, growing at an average rate of 5.8% per year.
Bitcoin absolute energy consumption trends and share of renewable and coal energy. Source: MiCA Crypto Alliance
The data reflects a steady shift of Bitcoin mining to cleaner and more sustainable energy solutions, with the study forecasting further decarbonization and mitigation of BTC’s environmental footprint in the coming years.
Global coal energy use surged