Bitcoin is currently one of the most trending issues in the United States. Bitcoin's stock price, which vastly fluctuates day by day, is an interesting issue not only for those who invested in the stock but also for ordinary people who are interested in the future of virtual currencies. Recently, a new group of people have also joined to share the interest of Bitcoins with a rather shocking perspective: the environmentalists.  

Bitcoin can be obtained through a process called the “mining,” requiring numerous algorithms to be solved, and such algorithms can be solved through a large number of computers. This results in immense electricity consumption and CO2 emissions. The Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance, a research institute in the University of Cambridge, has been exploring the issue. The website ( https://cbeci.org/cbeci/comparisons ) shows Bitcoin's electricity consumption in real time and compares the figure in various ways.

According to the institute as of May 15th, 147.71 TWh (Terawatt-hour) is currently used for mining Bitcoin per year and the amount is similar to the annual electricity consumed by Malaysia as a whole. Bitcoin takes the 26th place when countries that consume a lot of electricity are lined up. 147 TWh is also the amount that can operate all home appliances in the United States for 1.5 years. This absurd electric consumption issues of Bitcoins along with the supply and demand of electricity by citizens in some countries with low electricity bills as a result led to some countries including China and Abkhazia to restrict the usage of electricity in large PC workshops called Bitcoin mining sites. ( https://www.coindesk.com/abkhazia-bans-bitcoin-mining-shortly-after-legalizing-it ) While the issue at stake is critical, it is true that Bitcoin's environmental impact has not been emphasized enough compared to its investment value or its effectiveness as a currency. Surprisingly, the issue of recognizing Bitcoin with its environmental concerns has been done by someone unexpected: Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla. With a single line on his Twitter, Elon Musk has completely changed the Bitcoin stock industry. 

As the business leader in various fields such as electric vehicles and exploration of Mars, it was only natural for Elon Musk to be interested in Bitcoin, the “future of currencies.” Musk has emerged as a representative Bitcoin advocate by allowing Tesla's purchase to be settled with Bitcoin in the beginning. However, Musk immediately withdrew his policy to allow bitcoin payments, and this decision caused market confusion as Bitcoin's price plunged dramatically. What is interesting is that Musk cited Bitcoin's excessive impact on the environment during mining due to his withdrawal.(https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidrvetter/2021/05/13/what-elon-musks-bitcoin-decision-means-for-the-climate-according-to-experts/?sh=2d69b2e16d7b ). Bitcoins and electric vehicles that replace fossil fuels share value in terms of future-oriented aspects, but they have completely opposing environmental results. 

While we do not know if Musk's decision to withdraw Bitcoins is based on environmental concerns or a plausible cover for simple investment considerations, it is noteworthy how this entrepreneur has raised awareness for environmental issues. As a person living in an American society where every celebrity’s simple actions and words have a huge impact, this consequence of Musk’s statement was an example that made me contemplate on the positive effect of authoritative figures to raise public interest in environmental issues.