The increase in the value of cryptocurrencies in recent times has led more and more people to mine to obtain virtual currencies. But that requires huge computing power. And that's where a vicious circle starts. The more powerful the mining equipment, the more the electricity bill, used to power the appliances and to cool them, increases.
To make a good profit, cryptocurrency miners are looking for places where the climate is cold and the price of energy is low. One such place is Russia.
Located 4,000 kilometres from Moscow, near the Angara River, a Russian data center operates with a huge amount of data and uses locally generated hydroelectric power to operate. As the increase in bitcoin recently generated a nice profit for the center, the money will be allocated to doubling operating capacity this year.
"We have a capacity of 100 MW per hour. Around 70,000 units of equipment are installed in this center, which is the largest center in the post-Soviet era. There's no one bigger than us here. We have contracts with more than 80 customers from all over the world," says Ivan Kaap, deputy director of the mining centre.
"The climate here helps us a lot"
The center also houses equipment for foreign cryptocurrency miners in the United States, Europe or Japan, precisely because they use cheap energy. The company is already responsible for two percent of the global bitcoin mine.
"The average annual temperature in this region is 5 degrees Celsius, very important for the hardware systems that handle the mine. When they work, they heat up to 60-80 degrees Celsius, so they need cooling. And the climate here helps us a lot. Eight months a year is winter here," explains Ivan Kaap.
"If we estimate that Russia mines 6% of the total amount of bitcoin, our center is responsible for a quarter or even a third of that proportion," says Igor Rune?, director of the mining center.
Bitcoin se mineaza folosind o capacitate enorma a computerelor implicate in proces, cu o nevoie uria?a de energie electrica. Minarea implica unita?i uria?e in centre, de marimea garajelor pentru avioane, amplasate in cele mai reci col?uri din lume, cum ar fi Islanda, Canada, China de Nord sau Rusia, locuri unde ?i costurile sunt mai reduse.
Anul trecut Rusia a garantat statut legal pentru criptomonede, dar a interzis folosirea lor ca mijloace de plata.
