By Susie Violet Ward · Forbes · 29 January 2024
Margot Paez, a fellow at the Bitcoin Policy Institute, published a critique of a United Nations University study on bitcoin mining’s energy use, drawing on Brandolini’s Law, the idea that refuting misinformation takes far more effort than producing it. Paez argues that the study, published in the American Geophysical Union’s journal Earth’s Future, relied on outdated and discredited sources and projected past trends forward without accounting for rapid change in the industry.
She also criticised the study for overlooking newer research on mining’s role in grid reliability and renewable energy, and for not recognising that some key data sources had been discontinued. In her view, its recommendation to switch from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake reflected a misunderstanding of mining. Paez called for more transparent research involving renewable energy firms, miners and academics, and the article argued for a focus on using stranded or wasted energy.