Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index (CBECI)

General

CBECI = Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index — an index by the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF) that estimates and presents the electricity consumption of the Bitcoin network.

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Purpose & Focus

• The goal is to make the environmental and energy impacts of Bitcoin mining transparent.
• Provides current and historical estimates of daily and annual Bitcoin electricity consumption.

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Methodology

• Electricity consumption is estimated using models and real mining data, including hashrate, mining hardware efficiency, and energy demand.
• Includes lower (theoretical minimum) and upper (theoretical maximum) bounds, plus a best-guess estimate.

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Data & Visualizations

• Interactive charts showing electricity consumption over time (e.g., daily, monthly, yearly views).
• Also displays mining hardware efficiency in joules per terahash.

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Comparisons & Context

• The CBECI page includes comparisons, such as Bitcoin’s energy consumption versus that of other activities or countries, to provide context.

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Extended Environmental Analysis

• Additionally estimates greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions based on the electricity mix (optional, separate section).

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Use & Audience

• CBECI serves researchers, media, policymakers, and the public as a data source to support discussions on sustainability and the energy consumption of Bitcoin mining.

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Transparency

• The model and methodology are openly documented and regularly updated.