โTo the extent it is used I fear itโs often for illicit finance. Itโs an extremely inefficient way of conducting transactions, and the amount of energy thatโs consumed in processing those transactions is staggering,โ the former Fed chairwoman said. Yellenโs comments have been cited as a reason for bitcoinโs recent losses. However, Yellenโs assessment of bitcoin as a inefficient medium of exchange is an important point and one that has already been raised in the past by bitcoin bulls. Using a volatile asset in exchange for goods and services makes little sense if the asset can tumble 10% in a day, or surge 80% over the course of a two months as bitcoin has done in 2021, critics argue. To put a finer point on it, over the past 12 months bitcoin has registered 8 corrections, defined as a decline from a recent peak of at least 10% but not more than 20%, and two bear markets, which are defined as falls of 20% or more, according to Dow Jones Market Data.
How Does Bitcoin Mining Work?
Bitcoin mining is the process of adding new transactions to the Bitcoin blockchain. Itโs a tough job. People who choose to mine Bitcoin use a process called proof of work, deploying computers in a race to solve mathematical puzzles that verify transactions.To entice miners to keep racing to solve the puzzles and support the overall system, the Bitcoin code rewards miners with new Bitcoins. โThis is how new coins are createdโ and new transactions are added to the blockchain, says Okoro.
