[nkuttler]

> the BTC network uses a staggering amount of power

Actually, bitcoin uses a ridiculously small amount of power for what it provides. See for example here https://www.lynalden.com/bitcoin-energy/ for an introduction to clear up this misconception.

[plopilop]

If you really believe that something that is 1 million times less efficient than Visa/MasterCard for a fraction of the service, and that miners really use residential energy when they are active 24/7 and thus by definition a continuous strain on the grid, I have so many scams^W interesting products to sell you

https://digiconomist.net/bitcoin-energy-consumption

[RestlessMind]

Comparing Bitcoin network to Visa/MasterCard is as pointless as comparing Gold mining to those cc networks. Fair comparison would be Bitcoin network vs Gold mining/storage/securing/transfer activities.

[manuelabeledo]

What exactly does it provide?

So far it seems that Bitcoin mainstream use is to create speculative markets. Any other intended objective is a drop in the bucket.

[nkuttler]

If your country's money and banking works for you I don't think I can explain to you why bitcoin is useful, you simply have no use for it. That your peers primarily use it for speculation says more about them than about bitcoin.

[the_gastropod]

This article is basically like arguing: “Sure, using the Infant-Chipper 9000 results in the deaths of infants. But it’s a rounding error if you consider how many infants die in the world every year!”

Bitcoin purposefully wastes lots of energy to provide something of extremely dubious value.

[willcipriano]

It's literally an infant chipper insofar as it enables the sale of (and thus the production of) CSAM.

[ardme]

Yet obviously, some people find it useful. Who are you to tell people how to live their lives?

Maybe you should stop flying on airplanes for the rest of your life?

[thedrbrian]

All that electricity so that 3 to 7 people a second can buy some drugs.