In the past few years, villagers in the remote mountainous regions deep
in western China have found themselves involved in one of the trendiest
global businesses: Bitcoin mining.
Bitcoin mining is a very competitive but also highly profitable business,
in which tech-savvy miners utilise extreme amounts of computing
power to crack the algorithms that produce bitcoins, an encrypted
currency. Electricity typically accounts for 60-70 percent of a bitcoin
mine’s expenses, which means finding cheaper sources of power is a
must.
With its abundant hydropower, sichuan Province has become a sought-
after destination for Chinese bitcoin miners. China now produces the
vast majority of global bitcoins. Hydroelectric plants built on mountain
streams often produce more energy than the grid can absorb, and the
surplus is used for bitcoin mining. The high mountain reaches also help
cool the overheated machines.Bearing no resemblance to dusty, dimly lit and dangerous coalmines,
Bitcoin mines, often built within hydroelectric plants, are clean,
safe, warehouse-like buildings packed with hundreds of computers.
Employees work in shifts monitoring the machines to keep the mine
running 24/7. But the enormous noise and high temperatures, as well
as the extreme isolation of mountain life, can take their toll.The abundant water resources have given Sichuan Province the title of 'Bitcoin capital of the world.' In 2015, the owner relocated his mines
from Henan to Sichuan in order to tap much cheaper electricity
550 mining machines run inside a blue-tin-roofed Bitcoin mine, which is next to a hydroelectric plant in Sichuan’s Ngawa (Aba) Tibetan and
Qiang Autonomous Region. Kun, a mine supervisor, is monitoring the machines’ operation