How Much Energy Does Bitcoin Use? [November 2025 Data]

Bitcoin has become one of the most widely discussed cryptocurrencies in the world, not only for its financial impact but also for its environmental footprint. As the network grows and mining activity intensifies, questions arise about how much energy Bitcoin consumes and the broader implications for global electricity usage. Understanding bitcoin energy consumption is crucial for evaluating the sustainability of digital currencies, the environmental costs of mining, and the potential for more energy-efficient crypto solutions. In this article, we explore Bitcoin’s energy use from multiple perspectives, including network-wide consumption, transaction-level power requirements, and comparisons with traditional industries and countries.

Bitcoin energy consumption worldwide

The graph below illustrates Bitcoin’s estimated annual electricity usage over time, highlighting both minimum and average energy consumption per year. Tracking these trends helps to contextualize discussions around bitcoin mining energy consumption, crypto energy consumption, and comparisons with traditional financial systems.

• Bitcoin’s estimated annual energy consumption rose from 10.19 TWh in February 2017 to 204.50 TWh in December 2021, according to the Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index.
• Monthly minimum energy usage reached 143.48 TWh in April 2025, reflecting the high volatility of bitcoin mining energy consumption.
• Peak energy consumption was observed at 194.83 TWh in September 2025, showing continued growth in how much of energy it takes to mine a bitcoin.

Bitcoin mining electricity consumption has shown a consistent upward trend since 2017, with occasional fluctuations due to seasonal mining activity and market conditions. The network’s energy use reached a plateau around 175-177 TWh between 2024 and mid-2025 before climbing again towards 194.83 TWh in September 2025. These data highlight the substantial power demands of the network, emphasizing the importance of evaluating Bitcoin energy consumption in discussions of environmental impact and cost efficiency. 

After examining overall annual energy trends, it is crucial to break down how much energy bitcoin mining consumes daily across different countries.

Daily Bitcoin mining power consumption by country

The graph illustrates daily Bitcoin mining electricity consumption by country, measured in gigawatt-hours (GWh). These insights help to highlight which regions contribute most to Bitcoin energy consumption and the global distribution of crypto energy consumption.

• The United States leads daily bitcoin mining energy consumption at 145.6 GWh, according to the Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index.
• China and Kazakhstan follow with 81.25 GWh and 50.88 GWh, respectively, showing significant regional contributions to bitcoin mining energy consumption.
• Smaller nations such as Norway and Hong Kong consume only 2.84 GWh and 1.65 GWh, highlighting the wide disparity in how much electricity it costs to mine bitcoin globally.

Country-wise energy use of Bitcoin mining

Daily bitcoin mining energy consumption varies significantly by country, with a handful of regions accounting for the majority of electricity usage. The United States, China, and Kazakhstan together consume over 277 GWh per day, demonstrating concentrated energy demands in a few high-activity areas. Meanwhile, countries with smaller operations, such as Norway, Hong Kong, and Japan, collectively consume less than 7 GWh, emphasizing that Bitcoin mining power consumption is heavily skewed geographically. This distribution is crucial when assessing the environmental impact of crypto energy consumption and planning for sustainable practices in the industry.

While previous sections focused on country-level energy use, it is also insightful to compare Bitcoin mining energy consumption with major technology companies’ annual electricity usage.

Annual energy consumption by Bitcoin vs major tech companies

The graph below shows annual energy consumption in TWh for Bitcoin, Google, and Facebook. This comparison highlights the scale of bitcoin electricity consumption relative to well-known tech giants, illustrating how much energy it takes to mine a bitcoin compared with other digital operations.

• Bitcoin consumes 143 TWh annually as of 2025, vastly exceeding the energy usage of major tech companies.
• Google’s annual electricity consumption is 12 TWh, roughly 12 times less than Bitcoin's.
• Facebook uses 5 TWh per year, making it almost 29 times less than Bitcoin in terms of energy consumption.

How Bitcoin’s power use compares to Google and Facebook

Bitcoin mining energy consumption dwarfs that of leading technology companies, consuming 143 TWh annually compared to 12 TWh for Google and 5 TWh for Facebook. This stark contrast underlines the immense energy demands of crypto networks and emphasizes the relevance of considering Bitcoin energy consumption vs banking or other digital infrastructure. The data illustrate that discussions around crypto energy consumption should factor in not only total network usage but also comparisons with conventional digital services to understand environmental impacts fully.

After comparing annual energy use across sectors, it is useful to examine how much electricity bitcoin mining consumes on an hourly basis relative to everyday household devices.

Hourly energy consumption by device: Bitcoin mining in context

The graph shows hourly energy consumption in kWh for various devices, including bitcoin mining. By placing the Bitcoin mining electricity cost and power usage in the context of common household items, we can better understand crypto energy consumption at a granular level.

• A BTC mining consumes 4.6 kWh per hour, slightly less than a clothes dryer at 5.0 kWh.
• An electric kettle uses 3.5 kWh per hour, which is 1.1 kWh less than Bitcoin mining.
• Common devices like a laptop or gaming PC consume only 0.1 kWh and 0.6 kWh per hour, showing the high energy intensity of bitcoin mining electricity cost compared to regular electronics.

How Bitcoin mining electricity consumption compares to household devices

Hourly bitcoin mining electricity usage is comparable to high-power household appliances such as clothes dryers and electric kettles, consuming 4.6 kWh per hour. In contrast, typical electronics like laptops and gaming PCs consume a fraction of that energy, highlighting the intensive energy demand of crypto operations. Understanding how much electricity it costs to mine Bitcoin in relation to everyday devices provides perspective on the environmental impact of Bitcoin's power consumption and emphasizes the need for efficient energy management in the mining sector.

Beyond overall network consumption, it is important to consider Bitcoin energy usage at the transaction level to understand its environmental impact.

Bitcoin energy use per transaction

The graph shows energy consumption per transaction for Bitcoin and Ethereum (PoW), measured in kWh. Examining bitcoin transaction energy consumption highlights how much energy it takes to mine a bitcoin and why bitcoin uses so much energy compared to other cryptocurrencies.

• Each Bitcoin transaction consumes 1,135 kWh, significantly higher than Ethereum’s 84 kWh per transaction.
• Bitcoin’s energy usage per transaction is over 13 times greater than Ethereum (PoW).

How much energy does each Bitcoin transaction consume?

Bitcoin transaction energy consumption is extremely high, with each transaction requiring 1,135 kWh, far surpassing Ethereum (PoW) at 84 kWh. This disparity illustrates why Bitcoin uses so much energy, highlighting the intensive nature of its proof-of-work system. Understanding bitcoin transaction energy consumption provides a clearer perspective on the environmental footprint of crypto operations, reinforcing the importance of exploring more energy-efficient alternatives.

Bitcoin's carbon footprint and emissions

Understanding Bitcoin’s environmental impact requires looking not only at energy consumption but also at its carbon footprint and overall emissions. While discussions about bitcoin sustainability often focus on reducing electricity usage, the CO2 produced by transactions and mining operations highlights the broader ecological consequences of this cryptocurrency.

The following key points summarize Bitcoin’s carbon emissions:

• A single Bitcoin transaction in 2025 emits ~712 kg CO2, roughly equal to 1.58 million Visa transactions.
• The network’s total carbon emissions for 2025 are estimated to be ~98 million metric tons CO2.
• The mining industry contributes ~139 million tonnes of CO2 when accounting for broader greenhouse gas sources.

These figures emphasize that Bitcoin remains far from energy-efficient crypto operations, despite progress in some alternative blockchains being labeled the most energy-efficient cryptocurrency. The carbon footprint of the Bitcoin network illustrates the challenges of scaling a global digital currency sustainably. For projects aiming at bitcoin sustainability, addressing both energy use and carbon emissions is essential to mitigate its environmental impact.

Bitcoin energy consumption compared to countries

The graph illustrates Bitcoin energy consumption vs country. This comparison highlights the scale of cryptocurrency energy consumption and helps contextualize Bitcoin energy usage relative to national power consumption.

• Bitcoin consumes 143 TWh, more than countries like Sweden (130 TWh) and Argentina (128 TWh).
• Thailand’s electricity usage is 200 TWh, making it the only country in the dataset that exceeds Bitcoin mining energy consumption.
• Smaller nations such as Jamaica (3 TWh) and Turkmenistan (17 TWh) use far less electricity than Bitcoin, emphasizing the massive power requirements of cryptocurrency mining.

How Bitcoin's power use stacks up against national electricity consumption

How Does Bitcoin’s Energy Consumption Compare to Thailand?

• Compared to Thailand: 200 TWh.

How Does Bitcoin’s Energy Consumption Compare to Argentina's?

• Compared to Argentina: 128 TWh.

How Does Bitcoin’s Energy Consumption Compare to Denmark?

• Compared to Denmark: 33 TWh.

How Does Bitcoin’s Energy Consumption Compare to the Czech Republic?

• Compared to the Czech Republic: 59 TWh.

How Does Bitcoin’s Energy Consumption Compare to Sweden?

• Compared to Sweden: 130 TWh.

How Does Bitcoin’s Energy Consumption Compare to Ireland?

• Compared to Ireland: 31 TWh.

How Does Bitcoin’s Energy Consumption Compare to Austria?

• Compared to Austria: 65 TWh.

How Does Bitcoin’s Energy Consumption Compare to Chile?

• Compared to Chile: 87 TWh.

How Does Bitcoin’s Energy Consumption Compare to Norway?

• Compared to Norway: 122 TWh.

How Does Bitcoin’s Energy Consumption Compare to Turkmenistan?

• Compared to Turkmenistan: 17 TWh.

How Does Bitcoin’s Energy Consumption Compare to Greece?

• Compared to Greece: 47 TWh.

How Does Bitcoin’s Energy Consumption Compare to Jamaica?

• Compared to Jamaica: 3 TWh.

How Does Bitcoin’s Energy Consumption Compare to Finland?

• Compared to Finland: 80 TWh.

How Does Bitcoin’s Energy Consumption Compare to the Netherlands?

• Compared to the Netherlands: 112 TWh.

Bitcoin energy consumption is comparable to the electricity use of medium-sized countries, consuming 143 TWh annually, more than Sweden and Argentina, but less than Thailand. This highlights the substantial scale of bitcoin power consumption relative to national energy grids. demands worldwide.

In addition to energy consumption, bitcoin mining generates significant electronic waste, which has grown steadily as the network expands.

Bitcoin electronic waste over time

The graph illustrates bitcoin e-waste (in kilotons per year) from 2017 to 2025. Tracking this data helps quantify the environmental impact of bitcoin mining, showing how much waste bitcoin produces annually.

• Bitcoin e-waste increased from 3 kt in March 2017 to 77 kt in December 2023, reflecting rapid network expansion.
• Peak annual e-waste reached 80 kt in January 2024, highlighting the maximum emission during early 2024.
• Recent e-waste shows a downward trend, with 22 kt in September 2025, indicating potential improvements in mining efficiency.

Bitcoin mining generates substantial electronic waste, with early years (2017-2019) producing between 3-22 kt per year. The growth accelerated significantly, peaking at 80 kt in January 2024, before declining slightly in 2025. This trend underscores the environmental consequences of scaling bitcoin operations and highlights the need for strategies to manage e-waste in the cryptocurrency sector. Understanding Bitcoin's electronic waste over time provides a clearer picture of its ecological footprint alongside energy consumption.

Bitcoin electronic waste

The graph compares the electronic waste produced by a single Bitcoin transaction with that of 10,000 VISA transactions. It highlights the scale of bitcoin mining’s e-waste and provides context for its broader environmental impact.

• A single Bitcoin transaction generates 150 grams of e-waste, substantially higher than comparable digital transactions.
• 10,000 VISA transactions produce only 40 grams, showing how much more resource-intensive bitcoin is.
• The electronic waste per transaction is almost 4 times higher than that of thousands of traditional payment operations.

How Bitcoin transactions contribute to E-waste

Bitcoin transactions generate significant electronic waste, with one transaction producing 150 grams, compared to 40 grams for 10,000 VISA transactions. This demonstrates the high resource intensity of cryptocurrency operations beyond energy consumption. Understanding bitcoin electronic waste emphasizes the need for sustainable mining practices and the potential environmental costs associated with scaling digital currencies.

Conclusions

• By late 2025, Bitcoin’s energy consumption solidified its position as one of the most power-intensive digital systems on Earth, consuming up to 204.50 TWh annually, roughly 0.13% of global electricity. This scale underscores the environmental cost of securing a decentralized network.
• The network’s per-transaction energy use, over 1,100 kWh and 712 kg of CO2 emissions, highlights the inefficiency of proof-of-work mining compared with modern digital payment systems, raising questions about sustainability and scalability.
• Bitcoin’s total carbon footprint, estimated at nearly 98 million metric tons of CO2, rivals the annual emissions of entire countries such as New Zealand and Morocco, revealing how digital currencies now exert measurable climate influence.
• In global comparison, Bitcoin consumes more electricity than mid-sized nations like Sweden and Argentina, emphasizing that cryptocurrency mining has evolved into an energy sector of its own, with geopolitical and environmental implications.
• The surge in electronic waste, peaking at 80 kilotons per year, illustrates the hardware toll of mining. Although efficiency improvements are emerging, sustainable innovation will be essential to balance digital growth with environmental responsibility.

Sources

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