Environmental Impact of ASIC-Resistant Coins

Comparing environmental impact of ASIC vs ASIC-resistant cryptocurrencies.

This report examines the environmental trade-offs between ASIC-mined and ASIC-resistant Proof-of-Work (PoW) cryptocurrencies throughout 2024. Leveraging Nodiens’ proprietary data, it evaluates energy consumption, carbon emissions, and electronic waste across both mining models. While ASICs demonstrate superior efficiency per computational unit, ASIC-resistant coins appear less energy- and carbon-intensive per transaction. The analysis underscores the core dilemma between decentralisation and sustainability, offering valuable insights for investors, researchers, and policymakers navigating the design of equitable and environmentally conscious blockchain infrastructures.