Subvencionirane energetske moči Argentine Crypto Mining Boom

Rudarji kriptovalut v Argentini izkoriščajo subvencionirano električno energijo države, da izkoristijo velik donos.

This year, countries around the world have been experiencing crypto mining booms. Ultra-low utility rates and the resurgence of capital controls fuel the current one in Argentina. “Even after bitcoin’s (BTC) price correction, the cost of electricity for anyone mining from their house is still a fraction of the total revenue generated,” je dejal Nicolas Bourbon, a digital currency miner from Buenos Aires.

Argentinske gospodarske težave

In the past few years, Argentina experienced cyclical economic crises. These include repeat currency devaluations, defaults, hyperinflation, and a three-year recession compounded by the koronavirus pandemic. This has made the environment fertile for the adoption of alternative payment methods, especially cryptocurrencies.

To emphasize Argentina’s current economic plight, inflacija of the country’s peso is also running at about 50% annually. The plunging value of Argentina’s native currency has led to the reintroduction of foreign exchange controls. While restricted from buying dollars, Argentines can also only buy $200-worth of any other currency. 

To jih je na videz marsikomu dalo veliko večjo spodbudo za prehod na digitalne valute. Primer tega naraščajočega lokalnega povpraševanja je vrednost bitcoinov na neuradnih trgih 5.9 milijona pesos (62,316 3.4 USD) v primerjavi z okoli 35,911 milijona pesos (XNUMX XNUMX USD) po uradni stopnji.

Argentinska energetska politika

Besides the greater incentive to acquire higher value-retaining assets, crypto enthusiasts also benefit from the country’s longstanding residential electricity subsidies. Despite the policy being favorable to voters, it has started fueling tension within the ruling left-wing Peronist coalition.

Ker nima dovolj domačih virov energije, je Argentina neto uvoznica plina. Kljub temu računi za električno energijo potrošnikov znašajo le približno 2% do 3% povprečnega mesečnega dohodka. Ta znesek je skoraj podvojen na drugih latinskoameriških trgih, kot so Brazilija, Kolumbija ali Čile. 

"Kripto, ki jo rudarji ustvarijo, se običajno prodaja po vzporednem menjalnem tečaju, vendar se energija plačuje po subvencionirani stopnji," pravi Ezequiel Fernandez, analitik pri Balanz Capital Valores v Buenos Airesu. "Trenutno so prihodki zelo visoki."

Potencial neposrednih tujih naložb

Due to the potential for outsized revenues, foreign mining firms are sensing opportunity. For instance, Canada’s Bitfarms zagotovil posel to tap directly into a local power plant. This will enable them to draw as much as 210 megawatts of natural gas-powered electricity for $0.022 per kilowatt-hour, which is far below the wholesale market rate.

To je približno 0.06 USD na kilovatno uro za industrijske odjemalce, ki nimajo povezave z lokalnim omrežjem. Če bo uspešen, bi to lahko postal največji objekt za rudarstvo bitcoinov v Južni Ameriki.