Eco-activists oppose cryptocurrencies on proof-of-work consensus. Bitcoin works on it

Environmental groups have pledged to spend another $ 1 million on online advertising to pressure the bitcoin community to change the network code to reduce energy consumption.

Earlier on Thursday, the Ethereum blockchain changed its consensus mechanism from proof-of-work (PoW) to proof-of-stake (PoS), ending the need for energy-intensive computing power. Bitcoin, which operates on a PoW consensus, has faced growing criticism for its energy consumption, which is on par with some small countries. This criticism was partially reflected in a report on bitcoin mining released by the White House last week.

«Ethereum's energy-efficient merger leaves bitcoin as the top climate 'polluter,'» said the Environmental Working Group (EWG), which, along with Greenpeace USA, Ripple co-founder Chris Larsen, and other small environmental organizations, launched a campaign against PoW earlier this year. It is worth noting that it is not only environmental activists who oppose PoW — the possibility of a partial or complete ban on PoW is also being discussed in the European Union.