“With 8.2 billion people on the planet, each of us makes the daily choices that shape our collective impact,” Irina Karagyaur, Founder & President of Creators4Impact, told The Crypto Radio.
When it comes to NFTs and crypto, that might mean choosing where – and how – to mint, build, or invest. “Artists choosing to mint on a green blockchain will be a little battle won,” she added.
“A couple of years ago, most NFTs were launched on Ethereum, which ran on PoW,” said Alex de Vries-Gao, Digiconomist Founder. “Automatically, the footprint of anything that was built on the blockchain was also high.”
Since then, Ethereum has made a dramatic shift. It transitioned to Proof of Stake (PoS) – a move that cut its energy use by more than 99%, according to the 2023 Ethereum Merge Trend Report.
“Ever since Ethereum transitioned to PoS, NFT footprints have decreased,” de Vries-Gao said.
Other blockchains like Algorand, Polygon, and Tezos also use PoS or similar low-energy systems, positioning themselves as more sustainable alternatives. These platforms are increasingly attracting artists, brands, and developers who are concerned about environmental impact.
A growing U.S. regulatory push has also emerged around energy standards. In 2022, there were calls for PoW systems to adopt renewable energy. More recently, SEC and Treasury reports from 2024 have supported low-emission digital infrastructure and the integration of environmental objectives into financial oversight.
In the UAE, there is also a growing alignment between blockchain innovation and the country’s net-zero goals. Sustainability is becoming a core requirement for blockchain adoption across smart cities, finance, and public infrastructure.
Proof of Work vs Proof of Stake
Blockchain primarily relies on two types of consensus mechanisms – Proof of Work and Proof of Stake – which are the key sources of energy consumption.
“The controversy over energy usage is mainly centred on PoW,” said Karagyaur. “PoS blockchains like Solana, Polkadot, and Hedera require far less electricity than Proof of Work systems like Bitcoin, making them inherently ‘greener’ and non-controversial.”
Bitcoin mining consumes about 190 terawatt hours of electrical energy a year, according to Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index. “It’s essentially aligning the network through a large lottery where your chances of winning are based on how much computational power you have,” de Vries-Gao told The Crypto Radio. “This network is kind of like playing a massive game of Guess the Number, doing quintillions of guesses every second of the day.”
Using PoS, “the chance of winning is based on how much wealth you put at stake. You lock your money up into the mechanism, and then the consensus mechanism will randomly select one of the stakers to create the next block for the blockchain at a certain predefined interval,” he added.
However, over time, “PoW has become increasingly energy efficient,” said Karagyaur. In 2025, about 52.4% of Bitcoin’s PoW consumption comes from sustainable sources, according to The Cambridge Centre of Alternative Finance.
The study is based on a survey of 49 mining companies from 23 countries, representing approximately 48% of Bitcoin’s total hash rate. Cambridge analysts reported a significant increase in the use of green energy for Bitcoin mining compared to 2022, roughly 42.6% from renewables while 9.8% from nuclear power.
‘Every crypto transaction matters’
For artists, businesses, or organizations exploring blockchain technology, “doing your own research is important, especially now as AI becomes ubiquitous” Karagyaur stressed. “Platforms incorporating AI agents may consume significantly more resources than they appear to at first glance.”
A useful resource, she said, is the Crypto Carbon Ratings Institute (CCRI), which publishes rigorous assessments of blockchain-related emissions.
“Communities focused on sustainability, energy transitions, and regenerative finance and DAOs can be very useful to connect with project founders and like-minded individuals,” she added.
De Vries-Gao believes blockchain’s environmental impact could be reduced by limiting network participation and improving consensus mechanisms. He also highlighted the role of investors in supporting greener platforms by favoring PoS systems with lower computational demands.
“Use the power of your tokens to vote for proposals that fund climate solutions and advance development aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” Karagyaur said.
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