Greenpeace USA sparked criticism from the Bitcoin community on March 24 when it advocated for a change in the Bitcoin code from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake in a tweet.
Bitcoiners reacted strongly to Greenpeace's tweet, with some expressing skepticism and others dismissing the idea altogether.
Some users suggested that Greenpeace should fork the code themselves if they wish to implement the change, while others argued that clothes dryers consume more energy than Bitcoin.
Greenpeace, known for its environmental activism, has been working with crypto billionaire Chris Larsen since early 2022 in a campaign called "Change the Code, Not the Climate," which aims to pressure the Bitcoin community to change the consensus mechanism of the flagship cryptocurrency to a more energy-efficient one. Larsen provided $5 million to finance the effort.
Alex DovbnyaHe also expressed his belief that Bitcoin and Ethereum would not continue to enjoy investors' support unless they change.
Greenpeace's advocacy for an energy-efficient consensus mechanism is aligned with its mission to combat climate change.
Unlike proof-of-stake, the proof-of-work consensus mechanism requires plenty of energy, which is why environmental activists believe that the technology is extremely wasteful.
Larsen has repeatedly urged the Bitcoin community to move to environmentally friendly proof-of-stake, predicting regulators will have to step in to implement the change. He has called Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin "a hero" for his determination to ditch PoW. However, such a transition is extremely unlikely.
Arman Shirinyan
Vladislav Sopov
Dan Burgin