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MicroStrategy founder and Bitcoin bull Michael Saylor predicted that crypto mining giant MARA holdings will be the next BTC firm to join the Nasdaq 100. “I expect $MARA will be the next,” Saylor said in a Dec. 14 X post in response to a tweet by MARA Holdings chairman and CEO Fred Thiel, who congratulated Saylor and MicroStrategy for their inclusion in the Nasdaq-100 Index. MicroStrategy is expected to join the index before the trading day starts on Dec. 23. MARA Working Hard To Join The Nasdaq 100 Thiel replied to Saylor’s post by saying MARA is “working hard” to get included in the Nasdaq-100 Index. This comes after the Bitcoin mining giant spent more than $600 million on the leading crypto in the last 2 months, a Dec. 2 filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) shows. Thanks. We are working hard to get there. — Fred Thiel (@fgthiel) December 14, 2024 The MARA stock price recorded a more than 13% gain in the last 6 month...

In a recent viral video, HBO talk show host Bill Maher wholeheartedly broadcasted his belief that crypto mining consumes 8% of world electricity production. Unfortunately for Bill, that’s completely untrue. In fact, the real figure is less than 1%. Estimates range from 90 to a maximum of 240 terawatt-hours (TWh) per year, with most estimates for worldwide bitcoin mining in 2023 nearer to 121 TWh. Even the US Energy Administration estimates somewhere in the region of 120 TWh. Although significant, this figure isn’t even a single percentage point of global electricity consumption in 2023, which totaled over 27,000 TWh. Even using the highest, 240 TWh figure, crypto mining’s electricity consumption would still be below 1%. Maher broadcast the claim across national television and internet streaming services, including in posts to his 10.8 million followers on X (formerly twitter) and 938,000 on Instagram. Viewers dunk on the talk show host Comments rained in — many ...

1. Russia Mined Over $3 Billion Worth of Bitcoin in 2023, Generating $556 Million in Taxes link In 2023, Russia mined approximately 54,000 Bitcoins, valued at over $3 billion, generating around 50 billion rubles ($556 million) in tax revenue for the Russian government. Bezdelov, the president of the Russian Association of Crypto Mining, believes that the recent legalization of crypto mining will attract more investors and further boost tax revenues. Previously, Russian President Putin signed a bill officially legalizing cryptocurrency mining. Only registered Russian legal entities and individual entrepreneurs are allowed to mine, though individuals below the government-set energy consumption limit can mine without registration. 2. ​Korean Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) Plans to Audit Virtual Asset Exchanges link The South Korean Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) plans to audit virtual asset exchanges to detect any suspicious or illegal transactions. If system vulnerabilities are...

Next week, US-based crypto miners will share their energy consumption with the US Department of Energy (DoE) as part of its efforts to “generate credible data” and provide insight into miners’ electricity use and its effects. In an emergency request that was approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) this week, the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) claimed that a combination of a major cold snap in the US and increased crypto mining activity brought about by the increasing price of bitcoin may cause “heightened uncertainty in electric power markets.” It adds that this could “affect system operations and consumer prices.” As a result, commercial crypto miners identified by the agency are required to share their energy usage details as part of a survey titled Proposed Emergency Survey – Cryptocurrency Mining Facilities . According to the EIA’s request, time is of the essence, and “ public harm is reasonably likely if normal clearance ...