Overview

Opennode Q4 Report

We don't have to look far to discover alarming headlines claiming that Bitcoin is a threat to not only speculative consumers, but also the global climate. According to some reports, Bitcoin mining consumes more energy than a small country, and a single Bitcoin transaction consumes more energy than two dozen American homes in a single day. Major news organizations have been quick to point out the problems in the Bitcoin payment system — but are their criticisms truly authentic? I have assessed the present and historical energy costs associated with Bitcoin mining, as well as the associated carbon emissions, in this report. Additionally, I have suggested future emission paths.

Approach

My goal in designing the report was to please users with a balanced visual design layout that eliminates the need for users to 'wander' in order to seek critical facts - to effectively and clearly communicate my message. As this paper discusses issues that the ordinary user may not be familiar with, this was particularly difficult to accomplish. My method entailed breaking down huge amounts of dense material and creating a balanced and well-composed page that is both visually beautiful and functional, thereby capturing the user's attention.