• Greenpeace, the environmental NGO, unveiled an 11-foot art installation called “Skull of Satoshi” to spark debate about Bitcoin’s environmental impact.
• The skull was constructed with electronic waste materials and features smokestacks and Bitcoin logos.
• Benjamin Von Wong, the creator of the installation, explained it was not meant to be an anti-Bitcoin symbol but rather a symbol urging financial institutions to make changes that could reduce Bitcoin’s electricity usage.
Greenpeace Unveils ‘Skull of Satoshi’
Greenpeace, the well known environmental NGO, has unveiled the “Skull of Satoshi,” an art installation intended to spark debate about the impact of Bitcoin on the environment. The 11-foot skull was constructed with electronic waste materials and features smokestacks and Bitcoin logos.
Purpose Behind Skull of Satoshi
The purpose behind this art installation is to raise awareness of how much energy is consumed by Bitcoin mining and how this can potentially change if code changes are made. Rolf Skar from Greenpeace stated: Our skull design serves as a powerful symbol, urging financial institutions to use their influence to advocate for a code change that could reduce Bitcoin’s electricity usage by a whopping 99%. We cannot afford to expand our reliance on fossil fuels any further.
Accountability Tour
The Skull of Satoshi will travel next to New York for an “accountability tour” organized by Greenpeace where they will attempt to convince financial institutions using Bitcoin to call for code changes in order for cryptocurrency mining operations not be so destructive on climate change.
Benjamin Von Wong Clarifies His Intention
Benjamin Von Wong, the maker of the Skull of Satoshi also took his opinion on Twitter regarding his true intention with constructing this art piece commissioned by Greenpeace. He stated that he made it believing that bitcoin mining was a simplistic concept but he ended up learning it’s far more complicated than he initially thought which is why he clarified that his work wasn’t meant as an anti-bitcoin message but rather one hoping for positive change in terms of reducing electricity consumption when it comes down to bitcoin mining operations.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Greenpeace seeks to spread awareness about how much energy is being used when it comes down to cryptocurrency mining operations and how these can potentially decrease through code changes being implemented into bitcoin itself in order for its effects on climate change not be so drastic or fatalistic in nature.