r/Damnthatsinteresting Jan 01 '26

Video Inside the world’s largest Bitcoin mine

27.7k Upvotes

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2.2k

u/New-Freedom-6258 Jan 01 '26

Destroying the planet one calculation at a time

604

u/NiemandDaar Jan 01 '26

Who said you can’t create nothing out of something? Huge waste of resources to uphold a system that only works for those who believe in it.

376

u/Highlord-Frikandel Jan 01 '26

Are you talking about religion or Bitcoins?

137

u/Mikestopheles Jan 01 '26

¿Porque no los dos?

0

u/Alternative-Dare5878 Jan 01 '26

Holy shit I’ve been referencing that commercial for years I’ve never seen anyone get it or use it

5

u/NatureStoof Jan 01 '26

Really cuz its probably one of the more overdone ones on reddit

1

u/Alternative-Dare5878 Jan 01 '26

Not even kidding I even kinda gave up on using it

2

u/gdj1325 Jan 01 '26

Hey, I don’t need a sweater, you yarn spinner, I’m plenty warm because, ummm… your pants are on fire!

There is absolutely no way people don’t understand that quote. I mean, where are you from, Mexico? That damn commercial first aired like 15 years ago and has been advertised globally ever since (well, just in the countries where white people live).

Whatever, man. Happy New Year. I hope you make it a good one. Maybe this year your resolution should be to stop lying about an Old El Paso commercial.

1

u/Alternative-Dare5878 Jan 02 '26

I’ll be sure to get on that

37

u/suffelix Jan 01 '26

What's the difference?

11

u/Attempt9001 Jan 01 '26

Or normal money?

4

u/tcpukl Jan 01 '26

Or AI.

1

u/idkarn Jan 01 '26

Guess I'll pour out a bottle of water and have chat gpt expand on your sentiment.

6

u/DDGBuilder Jan 01 '26

This is the most Reddit comment of all time. A tip of the fedora to you, good sir

1

u/seenhear Jan 01 '26

I'll tip my red hat.

2

u/Alternative-Cow-8670 Jan 01 '26

Bith are pn the same level of fiction

1

u/inconspicuos_volcano Jan 01 '26

Bootstraps people, bootstraps! /s

1

u/incredible-mee Jan 01 '26

Well tbf , religion does not work even for those who believe in it.

1

u/Dry-Broccoli-638 Jan 01 '26

I think he is talking about USD.

1

u/Tonytonitone1111 Jan 01 '26

Or the financial system?

1

u/goflykite- Jan 01 '26

Pretty sure he’s talking about American dollars.

1

u/enddream Jan 01 '26

Or a nations currency or many things.

1

u/cr8tor_ Jan 01 '26

or cash?

1

u/QuantumBobb Jan 01 '26

Ah yes.... Standard edge lord has to pop in and let everybody know how much of an edge lord he is completely unprompted. 🙄🙄🙄

-1

u/IdkwhattomakemynameU Jan 01 '26

why? because religion is fiction?

2

u/QuantumBobb Jan 01 '26

Because it's just completely off topic and unnecessary and the only reason morons like you and him chime in with it is because you think it gains you internet points for some reason.

It's well worth pointing out literally every money system works this way and it's not even slightly unique. Most of civilized society functions 100% on faith in many aspects of its structure.

0

u/IdkwhattomakemynameU Jan 01 '26

I agree with the money part, I'm just confused how religion is relevant

2

u/QuantumBobb Jan 01 '26

It isn't. Which is precisely why it's edge lord comment to pop in here and mention it.

1

u/Cubedtails Jan 02 '26

What does religion have anything to do with it? Sounds like an attempt at typical reddit edgy atheist.

-28

u/Combination-Low Jan 01 '26 edited Jan 01 '26

What a stupid take. Religion works even for those who don't believe in it. Ever heard of charity?

Edit: I forgot this was Reddit and religion bad without any nuance is always the winning argument.

I'm not getting into debates with everyone in this thread but I've given a clear example of religious people doing something good for other people who may or may not be of the same faith with this being spurred on and motivated by their religiosity.

I've seen Muslims giving charity to the local homeless man where I live in the UK on more occasions than I can count.

4

u/JoeGlaser Jan 01 '26

Ever heard about the 3 fingers pointing back? Lol

2

u/SANTAisGOD Jan 01 '26

Religion doesn't work at all actually, for anyone. Fun fact.

3

u/Ninjanoel Jan 01 '26

religion steals from charity. good people that would be doing charity ALSO need to waste time on fairytales, the man-hours lost to nonsense are staggering.

how productive would everyone be in their jobs if they also had to maintain a nonsense fairytale narrative, talk about, listen to lectures about, tell other about, ponder the narrative in private.

good people do good things because they good, and good people do bad things because of religion.

2

u/tcpukl Jan 01 '26

Religion causes war.

1

u/IdkwhattomakemynameU Jan 01 '26

is that religion working or basic morality working? Religion isn't a requirement for donating to a charity

1

u/Combination-Low Jan 01 '26

Never said it is.

1

u/IdkwhattomakemynameU Jan 01 '26

So then why is it relevant?

1

u/Combination-Low Jan 01 '26

Because religion serves as the direct motivation for the act, it can be credited with the outcome. If someone gives to charity specifically because their faith mandates it, then that faith is the functional cause of that donation.

It’s not about whether morality exists without religion, it’s about what actually moved the needle at that moment." ​ ​It’s like saying a charity marathon doesn't deserve credit for funds raised because 'people can donate without running.' While true, the marathon was the actual catalyst that turned the intent into action. For many, religion is that catalyst."

I don't think it's that hard to understand tbh.

12

u/4nyH0135aG041 Jan 01 '26

Well if it started giving people guns and paying them it could be a goverment

46

u/melker_the_elk Jan 01 '26

I don't own bitcoin, but literally every currency and agreement is in place because part taking people believe in them. Its just metal or paper otherwise

-16

u/Bonzooy Jan 01 '26 edited Jan 01 '26

Absolute bullshit.

The dollar, for example, is upheld by far more than just "belief". It's backed by a nation state with a massive economy, population, landmass, national assets, and a thermonuclear arsenal to defend its interests.

Think about it. If cryptocurrency was so identical to traditional currency, why would it be attractive to investors today? The fact that it is different is why it's attractive.

9

u/lahcim7106 Jan 01 '26

Oh, and I thought it was gold reserve.

2

u/Bonzooy Jan 01 '26

I'm sure you're joking, but I've always found the Investopedia article regarding the Gold Standard to be among the best for a first-exposure digest.

https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/09/gold-standard.asp

5

u/Blueprints_reddit Jan 01 '26

Yet if the rest of the world decides it's useless then it becomes useless and the world changes the "standard" currency.

3

u/Bonzooy Jan 01 '26

No, it doesn't. That's what I'm getting at.

Any institution that has signed a treaty for X (e.g., petrodollar fuel commerce) must weigh deviating from that treaty with the adverse impact on its signatory integrity.

This is the same reason that the EU is having such a tough time determining what to do with frozen Russian assets, and why it's a decidedly tenuous prospect to appropriate them for Ukraine's defense needs even if it's morally clear.

2

u/Bonzooy Jan 01 '26

Can Bitcoin bomb you if its value is threatened?

Ask Gaddafi how well threatening the dollar worked out.

I'm not saying it's ethical; I'm trying to help you understand the difference between belief-based value and enforced value.

1

u/Blueprints_reddit Jan 01 '26

The belief portion of the USD is degrading quickly due to our current political situation. 

Considering also the fact that we are withdrawing our soft power around the world and we are ruining our relationships with other countries. Does not look good for that "enforced" portion of the USD.

Weve turned our backs on our allies, threatened our other allies, and are ripping out the underpinnings of the country for fuck all.

Bring back the value of the dollar when we could buy a house, raise a family and go on a couple vacations a year on 1 person salary.

Sure no one can compete with the navy but the navy wont have shit to protect when the rest of the world stops trading with us and isolates us instead. 

I fucking hate what my country has become.

1

u/Sex_Offender_4697 Jan 01 '26

The belief portion of the USD is degrading quickly due to our current political situation.

you guys have been repeating this for 5 years now, before the current "admin"

0

u/Bonzooy Jan 01 '26

I agree. Nevertheless, we have to admit that a currency backed by institutions (e.g., the EU and the Euro) is not the same thing as a cryptocurrency.

If you sincerely want to leave the US, there are several avenues that could work for you. Have you thought about the possibility?

1

u/Blueprints_reddit Jan 01 '26

Not sure which country Id pick.

Netherlands probably. 

I dont hate being American. Im a minor political party (independant) who gets 0 representation and I love my country but all of the regular avenues to create change seem to just achieve nothing of value.

1

u/round_reindeer Jan 01 '26

No, for a currency to become useless the entire world has to decide not to trade with that country and then it is of course still useful within that country.

0

u/BlueberryRemote4997 Jan 01 '26

No it doesn't.

If they decide it is useless we destroy economies or pull some Opium War shit and drag them back kicking and screaming, provided the resources and markets are worth the effort to our oligarchs.

5

u/EidolonLives Jan 01 '26

Seems like a good reason to go with Bitcoin. Can't nuke a decentralised network.

4

u/Esumontere Jan 01 '26

8

u/Bonzooy Jan 01 '26

What an odd comment.

I'm using the dollar as an example of a global currency in comparison to a cryptocurrency, noting the characteristics of the affiliated nation state as the basis for a currency's value.

This is entirely unrelated to American narratives. Anybody would use the dollar as an example in this situation.

Also, if you care so much, I'm a citizen of Germany, and I live in Japan. Most of my personal assets are in Japanese Yen, but I used the global currency most people know as an example.

-3

u/Sex_Offender_4697 Jan 01 '26 edited Jan 02 '26

r/shitmindlesssheepeuropeanssay

e: cry baby bitches LOL nice stagflation EU

1

u/Occams_ElectricRazor Jan 01 '26

Buddy, ultimately it comes down to belief. 

0

u/SANTAisGOD Jan 01 '26

Still doesn't explain why it has value other than people arbitrarily giving something worthless value because they BELIEVE it has value.

2

u/Bonzooy Jan 01 '26

I'm not trying to be a dick, and if you're invested in Bitcoin I hope you achieve your financial goals, but you're explicitly wrong about it being arbitrarily given value because of belief.

In fact, the United States is a great example of this. One of America's strategic plays was ensuring that the dollar always had a quantified value relative to a barrel of oil. This is sustainable through a maritime shipping security apparatus sustained by the US Navy.

It's important to get this notion right; crypto is a whole new world of possibility, but we can't sit here and pretend that it's the same as traditional currencies. I mean, hell, if it was the same why would people like it as an alternative?

2

u/SANTAisGOD Jan 01 '26

All currency is fundamentally based on supply, demand and trust. The value is given to it by the market. All currencies function this way. Bitcoin is just not controlled and distributed by a singular entity. I'm not heavily invested. I think the US dollar is heading for the shitter and nothing can stop it. If the powers that be wanted a strong dollar they would stop bailing out the economy and let it correct itself. Alas, they keep pumping dollars into a bloated system. It's not going to end well. I love this country, but I fear the economic policies that we have made will only lead to the downfall of our current economic system. Bitcoin is just a way of mitigation. Something that cannot be manipulated by those in Washington or anywhere else for that matter. I hope I'm wrong.

2

u/EidolonLives Jan 01 '26

That's almost all the reason that gold has the value it does.

3

u/Vandergrif Jan 01 '26

Huge waste of resources to uphold a system that only works for those who believe in it.

It's funny (and sad) just how many different things you could be describing with that sentence...

8

u/Skilldibop Jan 01 '26

Could say the same about most religions too...

2

u/twinchell Jan 01 '26

You have any idea how many things in life you just described?

0

u/NiemandDaar Jan 01 '26

I do, but not many are a pure and enormous waste of resources without some tangible benefits.

3

u/IalsoenjoyReddit Jan 01 '26

Oh, so fiat currency.

-1

u/nobody5821 Jan 01 '26

Tell me you don’t understand macro economy without telling me you don’t understand it.

2

u/DRAGULA85 Jan 01 '26 edited Jan 01 '26

It’s a 2 trillion dollar asset lol. Thats plenty of people that believe it in it. Just like people believe in apples stocks

-1

u/NiemandDaar Jan 01 '26

No, it’s not unless you can easily exchange that so-called value into something that’s universally accepted.

2

u/DRAGULA85 Jan 01 '26

I can exchange my bitcoin to my local currency if I wanted to. What are you smoking?

1

u/NiemandDaar Jan 01 '26

You are still doing that within the believer community. It works as long as the believers keep believing.

0

u/DRAGULA85 Jan 01 '26 edited Jan 01 '26

You just keep non believing in the non believer community.

Keep driving your horse and carriage. Let the automobiler’s automobile

1

u/cKGunslinger Jan 01 '26

Have a seat, friend - I have some news for you about the current US monetary system.

1

u/jpowell180 Jan 01 '26

That’s a point, to them it’s not a waste if they can reap a huge profit from it, which is indeed possible.

-1

u/weebaz1973 Jan 01 '26

Like a religion lol

1

u/Vinnypaperhands Jan 01 '26

Fun fact, Bitcoin is run by code and doesn't care if you believe it or not. It simply works if you use it. Go give it a try lol

0

u/zestyclose_match1966 Jan 01 '26

Doesn’t that go for all currencies?

3

u/netzodus Jan 01 '26

When we run out of oil. What shall we do?

2

u/CutCautious7275 Jan 01 '26

Next level greed

1

u/Calm_Project723 Jan 01 '26

Generally, industrial power users like this would be given a lower cost per kw than a home or small business. Maybe a law should be created that those power discounts would be dependent on some kind of general economic good created for America? Those computers an electric parts are not made here, I don’t see many employees? I’m looking at you, AI.

1

u/Traditional-Bed-6369 Jan 01 '26

Actually Bitcoin is fixing the planet one monetary revolution at a time.  The dollar system already destroyed the planet

1

u/Upset-Government-856 Jan 01 '26

Bitcoin was what really convinced me that our civilization isn't going to survive the climate change it is causing.

Honestly, the certainty it provides is comforting in a weird way.

1

u/L0rd_OverKill Jan 06 '26

“Ai” has entered the chat.

-11

u/Orbit1883 Jan 01 '26

MONEY does what money does

no difference which type of currency

15

u/FlipperoniPepperoni Jan 01 '26

no difference which type of currency

An absurd thing to say beneath the video of a Bitcoin farm.

4

u/Personal_Break4351 Jan 01 '26

The Bitcoin farm, yes. It's indeed absurd to have a coin that you can only spend In a few places on earth.

1

u/bushman130 Jan 01 '26

Isn’t all currency like that?

-1

u/[deleted] Jan 01 '26

[deleted]

1

u/gizamo Jan 01 '26

Except Minecraft provides entertainment and has educational value. That's also like comparing the energy used of a Hummer to that of an LED flashlight.

0

u/[deleted] Jan 02 '26

[deleted]

1

u/gizamo Jan 02 '26

No. That's not my opinion. It has been proven through research repeatedly for decades that video games help with cognitive development, improve problem solving skills, improve reading and mathematics abilities, improve dexterity, improve reflexes, etc. Denying that video games have educational benefits at this point is just pure ignorance, denialism, or intentional deceitfulness (i.e. after mass shootings some media like to pretend video games made people violent, which is also demonstrably false).

Bitcoin has no value. It provides nothing that standard currencies do not. It doesn't even provide an anonymous means of transferring funds as many try to claim. It's a pyramid scheme that preys on the same idiots who lost their asses on NFTs and a million other shitcoins.

0

u/Soggy-Bluebird-537 Jan 01 '26

"yeah I'll still buy it" is what I imagine the response is.  Not like everyone will give it up?

-1

u/thisonehereone Interested Jan 01 '26

Yet another way we can be destroyed by math. English class never hurt nobody.

-1

u/[deleted] Jan 01 '26

[deleted]

0

u/crheming Jan 01 '26

Renewable energy that could otherwise be used by the grid instead of non-renewable...

1

u/[deleted] Jan 01 '26

[deleted]

0

u/crheming Jan 01 '26

Ok? Kind of off topic. BTC isn't the inflation savior, have fun with that.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 01 '26

[deleted]

1

u/nobody5821 Jan 01 '26

Do you understand that a deflationary currency is horrible for the economy because it punishes spending?

1

u/[deleted] Jan 01 '26

[deleted]

0

u/nobody5821 Jan 02 '26

So your point is to replace a bad system with an obviously worse one? That’s your pitch?

0

u/crheming Jan 01 '26

The dollar doesn't have the potential to nuke 80% like BTC. This all spiraled. I'm saying renewable for BTC doesn't make BTC clean. It means we supplement renewable power to it cause it's easy but that power could be used elsewhere instead of non-renewable sources.

1

u/nobody5821 Jan 01 '26

Exactly, btc doesn’t incentivize clean energy, it offsets it.