绿色加密的兴起：可持续区块链和能源效率革命

在环境问题，投资者压力和技术创新的驱动下，开发商和社区正在积极努力为数字资产建立更环保的未来。

The world of cryptocurrency is often associated with dazzling digital fortunes and cutting-edge technology. But beneath the surface, a significant environmental question mark has loomed: the massive energy consumption of some popular cryptocurrencies. For years, headlines have focused on Bitcoin’s electricity usage, sometimes comparing it to entire countries.

加密货币的世界通常与令人眼花digital乱的数字命运和尖端技术有关。但是在表面之下，一个重要的环境问号已隐约：一些流行的加密货币的大量能源消耗。多年来，头条新闻一直集中在比特币的电力上，有时将其与整个国家进行比较。

However, a powerful counter-movement is emerging - the rise of “green crypto” and sustainable blockchain initiatives. Driven by environmental concerns, investor pressure, and technological innovation, developers and communities are actively working to build a more eco-friendly future for digital assets. From energy-sipping technologies to projects that directly fund environmental causes, the crypto landscape is undergoing a green transformation. This article explores this shift, examining the technologies enabling it, the leading sustainable projects, and how even casual crypto users can get involved.

但是，有强大的反向运动正在出现 - “绿色加密”和可持续区块链计划的兴起。在环境问题，投资者压力和技术创新的驱动下，开发商和社区正在积极努力为数字资产建立更环保的未来。从能源措施技术到直接资助环境原因的项目，加密货币景观正在经历绿色转化。本文探讨了这一转变，研究了实现它的技术，领先的可持续项目，以及连续加密用户如何参与其中。

The Energy Elephant in the Room: Understanding Proof-of-Work

房间中的能量大象：了解工作证明

To understand why green crypto is necessary, we need to look at the technology behind early cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. Many operate using a system called Proof-of-Work (PoW). Think of PoW as a complex mathematical puzzle-solving contest. Computers worldwide (called miners) race to solve these puzzles to validate transactions and add them to the blockchain, a shared digital ledger. The first miner to find the solution is rewarded with new cryptocurrency.

要了解为什么需要绿色加密货币，我们需要查看像比特币这样早期加密货币背后的技术。许多人使用称为工作证明（POW）的系统进行操作。将POW视为一场复杂的数学拼图解决竞赛。全球计算机（称为矿工）竞赛解决这些难题以验证交易，并将它们添加到一个共享的数字分类帐中的区块链中。第一个找到解决方案的矿工将获得新的加密货币。

If you’re curious about what a “hash” is, this video by Ken Sheriff shows it done by hand, whereas modern miners do this multiple trillions of times a second!

如果您对“哈希”是什么好奇，那么肯·警长（Ken Sheriff）的这段视频显示了手工完成的视频，而现代矿工每秒进行了数万亿次！

While secure, this process requires immense computational power, which translates directly into high electricity consumption. As the value of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin rose, more powerful computers joined the mining network, driving energy demand even higher. Studies, like a 2022 White House report, estimated that global crypto assets using PoW could generate between 110 and 170 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually – comparable to the emissions of some entire nations. This significant environmental footprint raised alarms among environmentalists, regulators, and even leaders within the tech industry.

在安全的同时，此过程需要巨大的计算能力，这直接转化为高电力消耗。随着比特币等加密货币的价值，更强大的计算机加入了采矿网络，使能源需求更高。研究，例如2022年白宫报告，估计使用POW的全球加密资产每年可能产生110至1.7亿吨二氧化碳的二氧化碳，与某些整个国家的排放相媲美。这种重要的环境足迹在环保主义者，监管机构甚至科技行业的领导者中引起了警报。

The Green Shift: Energy-Efficient Technologies Emerge

绿色转移：能节能技术出现

The good news is that the crypto world is actively developing and adopting greener alternatives to PoW. The most prominent shift is towards Proof-of-Stake (PoS).

好消息是，加密货币世界正在积极发展并采用更绿色的POW替代品。最突出的转变是朝着二手证明（POS）。

Instead of solving energy-intensive puzzles, PoS relies on a different mechanism to validate transactions. In a PoS system, individuals or groups “stake” their own cryptocurrency as collateral. The network then chooses validators from this pool, often based on the amount staked and other factors, to confirm transactions and create new blocks. Because it doesn’t require massive computational power, PoS is dramatically more energy-efficient.

POS并没有解决能源密集型难题，而是依赖于验证交易的不同机制。在POS系统中，个人或团体将自己的加密货币“股权”作为抵押品。然后，该网络通常是根据固定数量和其他因素来从此池中选择验证器，以确认交易并创建新的块。由于它不需要大量的计算能力，因此POS效率更高。

The most significant example of this shift was Ethereum’s “Merge,” which occurred in September 2022. Ethereum, the second-largest cryptocurrency and the backbone for thousands of decentralized applications (dApps) and NFTs, transitioned from PoW to PoS. The result was staggering: Ethereum’s energy consumption plummeted by an estimated 99.95% or more almost overnight. This move demonstrated that even major, established blockchains could successfully adopt greener technology.

这一转变的最重要例子是以太坊的“合并”，发生在2022年9月。结果令人震惊：以太坊的能源消耗估计几乎在一夜之间下降了99.95％或更多。这一举动表明，即使是主要的，建立的区块链也可以成功采用绿色技术。

Beyond PoS, other innovative consensus mechanisms are contributing to the green wave:

除了POS之外，其他创新共识机制也有助于绿波：

• Hashgraph: This technology, used by Hedera Hashgraph, boasts extremely high throughput and low energy consumption, making it suitable for large-scale, scalable blockchain networks.

•Hashgraph：Hedera Hashgraph使用的这项技术具有极高的吞吐量和低能消耗，使其适用于大规模，可扩展的区块链网络。

• Hyperledger Fabric: Primarily used for enterprise blockchain solutions, Hyperledger Fabric offers a flexible and efficient framework for building custom blockchain networks with minimal environmental footprint.

•HyperLeDger织物：HyperLeDger Fabric主要用于企业区块链解决方案，为建立具有最小环境足迹的自定义区块链网络提供了灵活，有效的框架。

• Chainlink’s decentralized oracle networks provide a crucial link between smart contracts and external data sources in a highly secure and energy-efficient manner.

•ChainLink的分散Oracle网络以高度安全和节能的方式提供了智能合约与外部数据源之间的关键联系。

Spotlight on Green Cryptocurrencies: Leading the Charge

绿色加密货币的聚光灯：领导

Several cryptocurrencies have been designed with sustainability at their core or have made significant commitments to reducing their environmental footprint. Here are some notable examples in 2024-2025:

几种加密货币的核心设计具有可持续性，或者已经做出了重大承诺，以减少其环境足迹。以下是2024 - 2025年的一些显着示例：

• Cardano: Founded by Charles Hoskinson, a co-founder of Ethereum, Cardano is known for its scientific approach to blockchain development. It uses a PoS algorithm called Ouroboros, which has been mathematically proven to be energy-efficient. Cardano also supports various environmental initiatives through its community-driven programs.

•Cardano：Cardano由以太坊联合创始人查尔斯·霍斯金森（Charles Hoskinson）创立，以其科学的区块链开发方法而闻名。它使用一种称为Ouroboros的POS算法，该算法在数学上被证明是节能的。 Cardano还通过其社区驱动计划支持各种环境计划。

• Algorand: This cryptocurrency, founded by Turing Award winner-economist Thomas Chainlink, boasts a unique PoS protocol that aims to achieve minimal energy footprint while maintaining a high level of security. Algorand is focused on creating a scalable and sustainable blockchain ecosystem for global use cases.

•Algorand：这种加密货币是由Turing Award奖得主 - 经济学家Thomas Chainlink创立的，拥有独特的POS协议，旨在实现最小的能源足迹，同时保持高度的安全性。 Algorand专注于为全球用例创建一个可扩展且可持续的区块链生态系统。

• Hedera Hashgraph: This cryptocurrency uses the Hashgraph consensus mechanism, which is claimed to be more energy-efficient and scalable than PoW algorithms. Hedera also focuses on transparency and community involvement in its decision-making processes.

•Hedera Hashgraph：这种加密货币使用了标志性共识机制，据称它比POW算法更节能和可扩展。 Hedera还专注于透明度和社区参与其决策过程。

• Stellar: Stellar is a cryptocurrency focused on cross-border payments and financial inclusion. It uses a PoS algorithm called Stellar Consensus Protocol (SCP), designed for

•Stellar：Stellar是一个集中于跨境支付和金融包容性的加密货币。它使用一种称为恒星共识协议（SCP）的POS算法，该算法是为