It's not just electricity — Bitcoin mines burn through a lot of water, too

Bitcoin mines aren't just energy-hungry, it turns out they're thirsty, too. The water consumption tied to a single Bitcoin transaction, on average, could be enough to fill a small backyard pool, according to a new analysis. Bitcoin mines are essentially big data centers, which have become notorious for how much electricity and water they use.

The first time I read this I figured it referred to the amount of water consumption to mine a coin, as that would seem somewhat reasonable. Nope, it's the amount of water consumed to simply add a transaction to the blockchain. To think, Bitcoin is the one that coffee shops and bodegas were ostensibly accepting for everyday purchases—imagine draining a swimming pool to buy a bottle of water at a corner store!

Sheer madness.