A Bitcoin Mining Operation Started a Secret Power Plant, It Did Not Go as Plannd

Re:A Bitcoin Mining Operation Started a Secret Power Plant, ... by krasin on Wednesday October 06, 2021 @11:27PM (#28781493)

I predict that in 10 years, a secret nuclear power plant will be uncovered that was built specifically to mine cryptocurrencies. And the construction costs would be 10x lower per Watt of output than what we see in the conventional nuclear (as none of the safety regulation would need to be met).

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Re:A Bitcoin Mining Operation Started a Secret Power Plant, ... by sanp on Wednesday October 06, 2021 @11:39PM (#28781554)

Given that it is 10x cheaper perhaps we will find out earlier...

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Re:A Bitcoin Mining Operation Started a Secret Power Plant, ... by hunter-gatherer on Wednesday October 06, 2021 @11:33PM (#28781525)

A few years ago I would say that statement is absurd. But now it doesn't seem to fanatical.

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Re:A Bitcoin Mining Operation Started a Secret Power Plant, ... by krasin on Wednesday October 06, 2021 @11:39PM (#28781556)

I am personally rather a pessimist about the whole thing (despite being a fascinating economical quirk), but yeah: people repeatedly demonstrated that they will do anything for profit.

That said, direct coal pit to furnace to mining rig pipeline is going to be developed & prohibited before we see nuclear mining ventures.

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Re:A Bitcoin Mining Operation Started a Secret Power Plant, ... by rswskg on Thursday October 07, 2021 @09:06AM (#28785720)

A cheap nuclear power plant is very possible.

a safe and cheap nuclear power plant (using current tech) - maybe not.

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Re:A Bitcoin Mining Operation Started a Secret Power Plant, ... by post_from_work on Thursday October 07, 2021 @12:44AM (#28782054)

Hmmmm.....what about cobbling together RTG batteries to power a mining rig?

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Re:A Bitcoin Mining Operation Started a Secret Power Plant, ... by sandworm101 on Thursday October 07, 2021 @01:22AM (#28782368)

Considering that large RTGs generally pump out less power than is needed to run a modern graphics card I doubt they would ever turn a profit.

The RTG in this picture is five feet tall and is probably worth several million. For that you get a total of about 300watts of power.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:RTG_radiation_measurement...

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Re:A Bitcoin Mining Operation Started a Secret Power Plant, ... by Dylan16807 on Thursday October 07, 2021 @12:55AM (#28782148)

Very expensive.

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