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Digital

One Bitcoin transaction

Yksi Bitcoin-transaktio

55.5
Truecost score
Data confidence: MEDIUM

Carbon and water from Digiconomist and peer-reviewed research. Methodological debate ongoing about how to allocate network costs per transaction.

A single Bitcoin transaction consumes ~1,500 kWh of electricity, produces ~680 kg CO₂e, and requires ~16,000 liters of water — enough to fill a backyard swimming pool.

Did you know? A single Bitcoin transaction produces more CO₂ than 56 beef steaks or a return flight within Europe, yet the crypto community rarely discusses its environmental cost.
Transparent calculation

How was this number determined?

The Truecost score is calculated from absolute physical values. Each row below shows the measured value, how it was normalized, and where it comes from.

Dimension Absolute value Score 100 = Normalized Weight Weighted Confidence
Carbon Emissions 680.0 kg CO₂e 9.5 kg CO₂e 100 ×0.35 35.00 MEDIUM
Water Consumption 16000.0 liters 3840 liters 100 ×0.2 20.00 MEDIUM
Land Use 0.5 m²·year 51 m²·year 0.98 ×0.2 0.20 LOW
Waste 0.05 kg 5 kg 1.0 ×0.15 0.15 MEDIUM
Toxicity 2.0 µDALY 162 µDALY 1.23 ×0.1 0.12 LOW
Truecost score (weighted sum) 55.5

Share of your annual planetary budget

Carbon Emissions 71.58%
Water Consumption 4.17%
Land Use <0.01%
Waste 0.01%
Toxicity 0.01%
Source data by dimension

Where do the absolute values come from?

Carbon Emissions
MEDIUM
Digiconomist (2024): ~700 kg CO₂e per transaction. Springer Nature (2024): 672–860 kg CO₂e range. Bitcoin network ~150 TWh/year ÷ ~100 million transactions = ~1,500 kWh/tx. Global mining grid mix ~450 g CO₂/kWh → 675 kg. Conservative estimate: 680 kg.
  • Digiconomist (2024): Bitcoin Energy Consumption Index
  • Mora et al. (2018): Bitcoin emissions alone could push global warming above 2°C — Nature Climate Change
  • de Vries (2024): Carbon footprint of global Bitcoin mining — Sustainability Science

Range 500–900 kg depending on mining location and energy mix. Post-China-ban shift to US/Kazakhstan changed the mix.

Water Consumption
MEDIUM
de Vries (2023): ~16,000 L per transaction. Total Bitcoin water footprint ~2,237 GL/year ÷ ~100M transactions. Primarily data center cooling.
  • de Vries (2023): Bitcoin's growing water footprint — Cell Reports Sustainability

Contested figure. Range 10,000–17,500 L. Depends on cooling technology and climate of mining locations.

Land Use
LOW
Global mining facilities ~5,000 ha. 100M transactions → ~0.5 m²/transaction.

Rough estimate. Mining facilities increasingly in remote/industrial areas.

Waste
MEDIUM
ASIC miners lifespan ~3 years. Global e-waste from Bitcoin mining ~30,000 t/year (de Vries 2021). Per transaction: ~0.3 g hardware waste + packaging.
  • de Vries & Stoll (2021): Bitcoin's growing e-waste problem — Resources, Conservation and Recycling
Toxicity
LOW
E-waste toxicity (lead, mercury in electronics). Coal-powered mining in Kazakhstan/US creates local air pollution. Rough µDALY allocation.
  • de Vries & Stoll (2021): Bitcoin e-waste

Comparisons

Methodology

Based on Digiconomist's Bitcoin Energy Consumption Index and de Vries' peer-reviewed research. Network energy divided by annual transaction count. Carbon from mining energy mix.

Sources