IMF Becoming Increasingly Concerned About Crypto Mining And Its Carbon Footprint

Gita Gopinath, the Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), is sounding the alarm about the rising energy consumption and environmental impact of cryptocurrency mining and AI data centers, warning that the situation could significantly worsen in the next few years.

A Worrisome Scenario

In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), Gopinath shared data by the IMF, forecasting that the combined energy use of cryptocurrency mining and data centers could climb to 3.5% of global electricity demand by 2027. To put that in perspective, that is roughly the current electricity consumption of Japan, the fifth-largest energy consumer worldwide.

In a more extreme scenario, the share could soar to nearly 6%. On the flip side, the best-case scenario shows a modest rise to just 2.2%. Even more concerning, while the carbon footprint of crypto mining is expected to decrease by 2027, thanks to reduced mining rewards through events like the halving, emissions by data centers are projected to skyrocket. They could contribute as much as 450 million tons of CO₂, or about 1.2% of global emissions.

Why This Matters

The warning by Gita comes at a time when the environmental impact of Bitcoin (BTC) mining is under increasing scrutiny. According to the Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index, Bitcoin mining alone is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions each year than countries like Greece or North Korea.

Yet, despite these environmental concerns, many countries are still keen to tap into the economic potential of the cryptocurrency sector. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, for example, vowed to make America the global hub for Bitcoin mining during his campaign. And just this year, Russia officially legalized cryptocurrency mining, reflecting a broader global interest in the industry, even as its environmental costs rise.