Netherlands Startup Mines Bitcoin To Help Grow Tulips

It’s no secret that cryptocurrency mining isn’t the greatest for the environment, considering the extensive amount of energy required to run huge computer setups over long hours. 

But what if the heat from mining rigs could be repurposed? That’s what a startup in the Netherlands is trying to achieve, where Dutch engineer Bert de Groot is using the energy generated by the machines to grow tulips inside a greenhouse.

To make things even more eco-friendly, the servers De Groot uses are powered by solar panels laid out on the roofs, reducing both the electricity costs and carbon emissions typical mining servers would have.

According to AFP, the entire operation is actually carbon-negative, with the engineer suggesting that his project is “improving the environment” rather than contributing to the climate crisis.

Interestingly, as Futurism points out, the country’s tulip mania back in the 17th century shares striking similarities with the rise of Bitcoin and other digital tokens over the past several years. 

Back then, the flower caused the first-ever stock market crash when speculated prices of tulip bulbs soared to extreme heights before collapsing, which, as the site points out, could very well be happening with Bitcoin and its perceived value.

Believe it or not, the company, Bitcoin Brabant, is selling tulips grown in the greenhouse online in exchange for Bitcoin. There are now six servers residing in the hothouse, with De Groot keeping the exact location a secret for fear of thieves.

[via Futurism and AFP, cover image via Zheng Dong | Dreamstime.com]