New cryptocurrency makes waves as potential replacement for Bitcoin: 'A positive sign'

Bitcoin's energy-hungry mining process has long faced criticism for its staggering environmental impact. Now, a relatively new cryptocurrency platform called Bitcoin.ℏ is promising cleaner, more sustainable option for crypto-savvy investors.
A recent CoinGape report calls Bitcoin.ℏ a "green, quantum-resistant replacement for Bitcoin" that aims to solve cryptocurrency's sustainability challenges.
One of bitcoin's biggest concerns is the environmentally taxing mining process. As Investopedia explains, bitcoin mining is how cryptocurrency transactions get added to the blockchain ledger — and how new bitcoin currency is circulated.
To put it simply, miners race to solve cryptographic puzzles using specialized computers. The first to succeed adds a block of transactions to the blockchain — and earns newly minted bitcoin as a reward.
But this "mining" is notorious for requiring massive amounts of energy, often powered by highly polluting dirty fuels. In fact, NerdWallet reports that bitcoin miners, as a group, burn through more electricity than some entire countries. Mining also releases 65 megatonnes of carbon pollution per year, per CoinGape. It's the cost of doing business in bitcoin's world — and it's a big one.
To help avoid this massive energy use, Bitcoin.ℏ runs on Hedera Hashgraph, a decentralized ledger platform with an energy-efficient consensus algorithm requiring no mining. This means each transaction uses less energy, making Bitcoin.ℏ — which actually is not directly connected to the original bitcoin — a more sustainable choice in the blockchain world.
CoinGape reported Bitcoin.ℏ only consumes approximately 0.000003 kilowatt-hours of energy, compared to bitcoin's 703 kilowatt-hours — leading it to say it's "winning the battle for the future of crypto sustainability." Bitcoin.ℏ also has a faster transaction speed, able to reach 10,000 transactions per second.
Bitcoin currently hovers at about 7 transactions per second, per Tokenview.io. Beyond efficiency and speed, Bitcoin.ℏ reportedly prioritizes security and quantum resistance through its architecture.
On Reddit, users discussing Bitcoin.ℏ expressed a mixture of optimism and skepticism, with some waving it away as a "meme coin" and others saying they hope it pans out.
"Would the world be better if everything used less electricity? Yes. Hedera uses the least electricity per transaction, 800 transactions can be done using the same amount of electricity Visa uses doing only one, lonely transaction," one user wrote.
Do you think EVs are good for off-roading?
They're better than gas cars
They're as good as gas cars
They're worse than gas cars
I'm not sure
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.
Said another: "Only invest what you can afford to lose. To me, it looks like someone is genuinely trying, and that's a positive sign."
While Bitcoin.ℏ shows promise for cleaning up the cryptocurrency space, it still faces the challenge of carving out a place alongside bitcoin's established and trusted model, which is lauded for its security and user incentives.
Ethereum, which recently completed "The Merge" by transitioning to proof-of-stake verification to reduce its energy consumption by more than 99%, is facing similar challenges to maintain upward mobility. That's even despite starting with a much bigger user base than Bitcoin.ℏ or Hedera more broadly — though after a dip from late 2024 to early 2025, Ethereum's primary currency, ether, is up about 12% over the last month.
In the meantime, some bitcoin companies are working to make their own operations more sustainable despite bitcoin likely never transitioning from the more energy-intensive proof-of-work model, acutely aware of how much energy their data centers consume.
Major bitcoin mining company Mara Holding, for instance, recently acquired a wind farm in Texas to help power a portion of its cryptocurrency operations. This reflects a broader shift in the industry toward sustainability, whether through greener currency or cleaning up existing infrastructure.
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.Sign in to access your portfolio

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Yahoo

32 minutes ago

• Yahoo

Could Central Banks Embrace Bitcoin as a Reserve Asset?

Central banks prefer to hold stable assets on their balance sheets. Bitcoin has some of the features they like. It isn't a preferred holding just yet, but it might become one, and perhaps soon. 10 stocks we like better than Bitcoin › Central bankers spend their careers worrying about risks that most investors ignore. In 2024, they bought a record 1,045 tons of gold as insurance against globally swelling sovereign debt loads and growing geopolitical fractures. Those same issues might even be leading a few outliers to consider another hedge asset: Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC). What sounded foolish a decade ago now ticks three boxes every reserve manager studies -- specifically, the asset's limited supply, its round-the-clock liquidity, and its (partial) insulation from certain geopolitical risks. If gold hoards are a vote of no-confidence in fiat currencies, central banks holding a sliver of Bitcoin would be a vote of no-confidence in the entire monetary status quo. Let's see why they're more likely to be casting that vote right now than ever before. Let's start with Bitcoin's scarcity. There can only ever be 21 million Bitcoin, per its protocol (about 19.9 million now are in circulation). It gets harder to mine Bitcoin on a regular basis thanks to its halving mechanics. So there will probably not ever be a large influx of freshly mined coin dumped on the market, indicating that it will likely retain a semblance of price stability in the long term. Other reserve assets, like gold or silver, are not necessarily constrained as precisely. It's true that precious metals can't be printed like fiat currencies can be, but new deposits can be discovered if there's an incentive to look for them, refining methods can be improved, substitutes can be used, or recycling efforts can be undertaken. All those possibilities make it harder to know with confidence that the supply of and demand for those metals will remain relatively constrained in the long run, even if there will probably not be any big surprises in the short term. Another factor is that the coins do not carry any counterparty risk in the same way as other reserve assets, like U.S. Treasury bills or other sovereign bonds. There are no cash flows associated with holding Bitcoin, nor is there any central issuing authority. So it isn't possible for anyone to default on cash flows and tank the price of the asset. Nor is it possible for any issuer to debase their currency to reduce the value that they owe to holders. In the same vein, the network is politically neutral, at least for now. The miners that make up the network are distributed around the globe. Furthermore, there's a strong taboo against allowing any single miner or cartel of miners to accumulate enough mining power to control the network on their own, and substantial technical barriers to prevent such an outcome from happening in the first place. Again, there is no issuer that can devalue Bitcoin to fund their deficit spending, and no single military can blockade its ledgers, nor seize control of it. For smaller economies nursing dollar-denominated debts, that neutrality is attractive insurance. That's why it's becoming a more attractive asset for central bankers. There are already a handful of countries accumulating Bitcoin for the above reasons. El Salvador now holds 6,170 bitcoins worth about $650 million after fresh purchases in May. Governments altogether control 463,741 coins, or roughly 2.3% of the supply, via intentional accumulation or law enforcement seizures. The U.S. tops that list with 207,189 coins, though the country's Federal Reserve is not officially on board with accumulating it. Ukraine's parliament just introduced a bill instructing its central bank to hold Bitcoin alongside gold once post-war reconstruction begins. In January, the Czech National Bank governor floated putting up to 5% of its 146 billion euros ($168 billion) of reserves into Bitcoin to diversify away from dollars and euros. Even if these countries never actually follow through on these plans, the public debate itself legitimizes the asset as something that's stable enough for sovereigns to hold intentionally. As bullish as it is for the coin's holders that governments and central banks are looking for exposure to Bitcoin, the idea of it being a commonly held reserve asset is still controversial, even if it's no longer fringe. Bitcoin is still fairly volatile compared to an asset like gold. As a result, key central banks don't want to touch it. The Swiss National Bank dismissed Bitcoin in April, citing stability concerns. Nonetheless, if even a handful of central banks eventually follow El Salvador's lead, the structural demand could absorb a lot of the coin's floating supply each year. That isn't enough to spike prices overnight, but it could create a steady amount of buying pressure that compounds Bitcoin's long-run scarcity narrative significantly. Investors betting on the asset today are therefore front-running a potential sovereign buyer of last resort, which is to say they're getting exposure to a similar upside that gold already enjoys. For now, Bitcoin remains a speculative reserve candidate, not a mainstream holding. Yet the very discussion marks a shift in monetary imagination that's just starting to pick up speed. Central banks won't replace their gold bars with cold wallets tomorrow, but the door is now open, and that's a smart reason to consider buying the asset today. Before you buy stock in Bitcoin, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Bitcoin wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $659,171!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $891,722!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 995% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 172% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 9, 2025 Alex Carchidi has positions in Bitcoin. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Could Central Banks Embrace Bitcoin as a Reserve Asset? was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

Forbes

40 minutes ago

• Forbes

Bitcoin Suddenly Braced For $37 Trillion Fed Price Earthquake As Trump Suddenly Flips

Bitcoin has surged over the last year, helped by U.S. president Donald Trump's prediction that 'massive' bitcoin and crypto investment is coming. Front-run Donald Trump, the White House and Wall Street by subscribing now to Forbes' CryptoAsset & Blockchain Advisor where you can "uncover blockchain blockbusters poised for 1,000% plus gains!" The bitcoin price, up around 50% since plummeting to April lows, has found a floor at $100,000 despite a surprise 'big risk' recently emerging. Now, after the U.S. Senate passed a crypto bill predicted to 'unleash trillions,' the bitcoin price is braced for a Federal Reserve earthquake after Trump renewed his attack on chair Jerome Powell over interest rates as U.S. debt tops $37 trillion. Sign up now for the free CryptoCodex—A daily five-minute newsletter for traders, investors and the crypto-curious that will get you up to date and keep you ahead of the bitcoin and crypto market bull run Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell is under fire from U.S. president Donald Trump—with the bitcoin ... More price predicted to benefit if the Fed flips dovish. "I don't know why the board doesn't override (Powell)," Trump posted to his Truth Social account in a lengthy message in which he branded Powell a 'moron" and heavily criticized Fed policy that he claims is costing the U.S. $1 trillion per year in interest payments. "Maybe, just maybe, I'll have to change my mind about firing him? But regardless, his term ends shortly." U.S. debt has skyrocketed in recent years following huge government spending through the Covid-era and lockdowns, with interest rates that were rapidly hiked to rein in inflation adding to the cost of servicing the ballooning $37 trillion U.S. debt pile. Earlier this month, Trump confirmed a decision on the next Federal Reserve chair will be coming out ' very soon,' after earlier warning he was considering firing Powell if rates weren't brought down. Trump also called Powell a 'numbskull," adding: 'I fully understand that my strong criticism of him makes it more difficult for him to do what he should be doing, lowering rates, but I've tried it all different ways. I've been nice, I've been neutral, and I've been nasty, and nice and neutral didn't work!' This week, the Fed kept interest rates on hold again after kicking of a reduction cycle in September that's been put on pause due to fears Trump's global trade tariffs could see a return of inflation. However, Fed governor Christopher Waller has said he doesn't expect Trump's tariffs to drive inflation higher so policymakers should be looking to lower interest rates as early as July. 'If you're starting to worry about the downside risk [to the] labor market, move now, don't wait,' Waller told CNBC. The futures market currently puts the chances of a Fed rate cut in July at just 10%, according to CME FedWatch. Lower interest rates are generally believed to be supportive of risk assets like bitcoin, crypto and high-growth technology stocks as money more easily flows though the economic system, with bitcoin price and crypto analysts predicting a bitcoin price boom if the Fed moves to rapidly reduce rates. Sign up now for CryptoCodex—A free, daily newsletter for the crypto-curious The bitcoin price has rocketed higher over the last year, with U.S. president Donald Trump boosting ... More the bitcoin price and wider crypto market. The 'dot plot from the Federal Reserve was somewhat of a relief, with projections of two rate cuts this year alleviating fears of no more cuts at all in 2025,' Elliot Johnson, chief executive of the Bitcoin Treasury Corporation, said in emailed comments. 'But beyond this short-term noise, there are even more reasons to be optimistic. Bitcoin's recent strength isn't only a testament to its resilience or its growing appeal as a safe-haven asset, but also its growing importance as an alternative to the devaluing U.S. dollar and a legitimate long-term treasury asset.' Others have pointed to bitcoin's price performance through recent market volatility as helping to establish it as a safe-haven similar to gold. 'As confidence in a perfectly engineered "soft landing" wanes, and as global financial currents diverge, bitcoin's fundamental properties—its scarcity, decentralization, and neutrality—make it an increasingly relevant and compelling asset for investors navigating an uncertain future," David Hernandez, crypto investment specialist at 21Shares, said via email. 'Bitcoin has firmly cemented itself above $100,000, and its resilience amid geopolitical shocks demonstrates its widespread adoption and developing investment case.'

Yahoo

2 hours ago

• Yahoo

Can a $10,000 Investment in Bitcoin Turn Into $1 Million By 2035?

There are plenty of reasons to be very optimistic about Bitcoin during the next 10 years. A hearty investment could thus yield impressive returns, for the patient. But don't expect the road ahead to be free of potential pitfalls. 10 stocks we like better than Bitcoin › If you had planted $10,000 worth of Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) in a portfolio in 2015, your investment would be worth an eye-popping $4.3 million right now, after the coin's almost unthinkable growth of nearly 43,000%. It still has plenty of capacity for big growth during the next 10 years, too. The coin's scarcity, diehard holder base, and newfound status as a darling of institutional investors still make it an appealing purchase today. History won't repeat perfectly, but it can rhyme. Could $10,000 invested into Bitcoin right now turn into $1 million by 2035, or will the upside be more limited this time around? Let's test the numbers and see what's possible for a long-term investment. First, let's establish the parameters of what needs to happen. A $10,000 investment can become $1 million only if Bitcoin climbs 100-fold from today's price. That hurdle looks insurmountable -- until you consider the coin's incredible compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 84% during the last 10 years. Supply dynamics lend credence to the idea that Bitcoin is going to continue producing new millionaires. The next halving of the coin's issuance, projected for April 2028, will drop the block reward to just over 1.5 bitcoins, thereby cutting new issuance in half yet again and further constraining Bitcoin's newly mined supply. By 2032, the reward is set to shrink to roughly 0.7. Fewer fresh coins with each block will continue to force later buyers to haggle with existing holders. That's historically a recipe for higher prices, even if there isn't a large influx of new demand. On that front, demand for the coin is now something driven largely by institutional investors and governments, two of the very largest holders of capital. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) January 2024 green light for Bitcoin-holding exchange-traded funds (ETFs) removed the last barrier to institutional adoption. The implication is that the world's capital can now get as much Bitcoin exposure as it wants, and so far, it looks like they have a large appetite for it. Corporate treasuries are now piling in as well. There are currently at least 61 non-crypto public companies that hold Bitcoin. These balance sheet stakes aren't intended for quick flips, but rather for holding as an asset. So they'll constrain the coin's floating supply even further, creating a very favorable environment for the price to zoom upwards. When combining these factors, it's still probably a bit optimistic to expect the coin to continue to exhibit its historical CAGR. But that doesn't mean it won't still grow at a very quick pace. For what it's worth, the coin's CAGR during the past four years is 27%. Overall, it's much more reasonable to expect Bitcoin to gain 10-fold between now and 2035, leaving someone who invested $10,000 with about $100,000, than it is to expect such an investment to yield a full $1 million. Assuming the coin's four-year CAGR is sustained during the next 10 years, investing $10,000 today would net you around $109,000. It could still surprise investors to the upside, of course. Still, that's not something to build your financial planning around, and there are a few risks worth knowing about. Bitcoin has never faced a mature regulatory regime. The same government that blessed ETFs today could crack down on self-custody or levy punitive taxes if political winds shift, and they very well might. Furthermore, corporate balance sheet accumulation of the asset is two-edged. If Bitcoin slides under $90,000, nearly half the new treasury adopters will sit on unrealized losses, raising headline risk and introducing the specter of forced liquidations. Technological risk is another (and underrated) risk. Quantum computers capable of breaking Bitcoin's encryption could arrive sooner than many expect. Some warn that Bitcoin needs a post-quantum security upgrade within five years. For investors, the antidote for these risks is patience. Allocate only what fits your risk budget, dollar-cost average (DCA) into your position to tame volatility, and simply don't look at your portfolio during times of turbulence. If you size your positions assuming a middle-of-the-road growth trajectory, the trek to a position worth $1 million becomes an eventuality, rather than something to worry about rushing toward. Before you buy stock in Bitcoin, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Bitcoin wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $659,171!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $891,722!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 995% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 172% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 9, 2025 Alex Carchidi has positions in Bitcoin. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Can a $10,000 Investment in Bitcoin Turn Into $1 Million By 2035? was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data