Crypto
Experts reveal game-changing ways cryptocurrency can boost local economies — do the perks outweigh the cost?
As more people become aware of the negative environmental impacts of advancements in technology, certain industries and businesses are looking to pivot and remake their images in the name of the green transition.
In the cryptocurrency world, Ethereum in 2022 changed its modus operandi from proof of work to proof of stake — and reduced its energy consumption in doing so by nearly 100%. This switch was projected to reduce the company’s pollution from 11 million tons of carbon each year to 870 tons, and it doubled its value to $600 billion.
Bitcoin adherents are touting its ability to contribute to a cleaner future, too. Daniel Batten, an analyst and climate investor, has said that mining operations can help renewable energy farms become immediately profitable and drive continued investment in that industry.
Bitcoin, though, still generates an estimated 95 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent annually, per the University of Cambridge’s Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index. That’s a figure some insiders, such as Batten, say is out of step with the latest percentages of renewable energy, which a Bloomberg analyst has put at over 50%, and indeed the Cambridge index says “the estimates currently displayed on our website are grounded on electricity mix data available as of January 2022.” A lot has changed in the nearly three years since, with many professional mining operations going off the grid with renewable energy to improve their long-term return on investment.
These blockchain-based marketplaces provide examples of where the technology has been, how it has changed, and where it’s going. Other breakthroughs could help crypto contribute to sustainability, as CCN reported.
“Skeptics question whether the environmental benefits of blockchain outweigh its energy costs,” Lorena Nessi wrote. “Some argue that while blockchain offers tools for climate solutions, the emissions from mining and other processes may offset these gains.”
The reason many people are so high on the technology is because it offers an efficient, decentralized alternative to traditional methods.
Take, for example, how blockchain has transformed a couple of cities as they relate to the energy industry, as CCN relayed. In New York and Western Australia, homeowners can generate, buy, sell, and trade solar energy. Blockchain technology allows for transparent transactions, enabling the creation of a free market, encouraging the use of renewable energy, and ensuring energy independence while supporting the local economy.
Other developments facilitated by blockchain include the granting of tokens for sustainable behaviors, such as recycling or reducing energy use. The “tamper-proof system” also means ledgers can be created to monitor the environment and verify climate data as well as manage carbon credits, which could revolutionize the questionable nature of such programs.
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But CCN noted that integrating artificial intelligence — another energy-sapping technology — and overly relying on such tools, which lack regulation, are great risks.
The wealthy companies that use blockchain, AI, and other inventions that stress the electrical grid have the power to make this change a reality. Otherwise, it will remain up to the public to try to hold them and their executives accountable.
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don’t miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Crypto
Sharplink Breaks 8-Month ETH Drought With Silent $18M Buy Through FalconX
Key Takeaways
- Sharplink acquired 5,000 ETH from FalconX after an 8-month pause.
- SBET jumped 5.48% on the circulating news but remains down 47.37% YTD on Nasdaq.
- Sharplink holds 876,285 ETH worth $1.38B, ranking second behind Bitmine in ETH treasuries.
Lookonchain Spots Sharplink Recieving 5,000 ETH
With 876,285 ETH valued at $1.38 billion using current ether exchange rates on Saturday, June 27, 2026, Sharplink ranks below Bitmine’s 5,672,956 ETH cache, making it the second-largest ETH treasury today. This week, the onchain analyst on X known as Lookonchain detailed that Sharplink acquired 5,000 ETH from the crypto firm FalconX.
“After 8 months, Sharplink is buying ETH again,” Lookonchain wrote. The onchain analysts also noted in the X post that the publicly traded firm paid an average price of $3,609 per coin and is sitting on $1.7 billion in paper losses. While the company’s 5,000 ETH inflow can be verified onchain, Sharplink has not issued a press release or formal announcement.
Stock Down 99% and $1.7B in Paper Losses
Sharplink is among the growing roster of digital asset treasury (DAT) firms watching the crypto bear market eat into their paper gains. The company’s shares trade on Nasdaq, and the stock closed June 26 at $4.81 a share. Shares climbed 5.48% during Friday’s trading session after news of the company scooping up more ETH began circulating across social media.
Despite Friday’s 5.48% lift, Sharplink (Nasdaq: SBET) is down 10.76% over the past week, more than 21% this month, and 47.37% year to date. Hardly cause for celebration. SBET is also trading 99.96% below its all-time high. Sharplink’s stock has generally traded at a discount to NAV, with mNAV below 1.0x, while nearly all of the company’s ether remains staked.
Sharplink’s renewed buying signals conviction, but the numbers tell a harder story. Whether accumulating through a bear market proves prescient or painful remains an open question.
Crypto
4 arrested in Poland for SIM-swapping and cryptocurrency theft
Crypto
SpaceX Lands Nasdaq-100 Spot Weeks After Record IPO
Key Takeaways
- SpaceX is joining the Nasdaq-100 and FTSE Russell’s U.S. equity indexes less than a month after its record-breaking IPO.
- Index inclusion may increase fund demand, trading volume, and visibility among institutional investors.
- Shares have experienced volatility since listing.
SpaceX Inclusion Highlights Growing Influence of Aerospace Innovation in Major Market Benchmark
Elon Musk’s Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (Nasdaq: SPCX), also known as SpaceX, will join the Nasdaq-100 Index before the market opens on July 7, 2026, Nasdaq announced on June 26. The addition places the aerospace company among the 100 largest non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market.
SpaceX’s inclusion follows its initial public offering on June 12, 2026, when the company debuted on the Nasdaq in what became the largest IPO in history. The aerospace and technology company priced its shares at $135, entering the market with an initial valuation of $1.77 trillion. Shares opened at $150 and closed their first trading day at $160.95, valuing SpaceX at roughly $2.1 trillion, a milestone that made Musk the world’s first trillionaire.
Nasdaq stated:
“Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (Nasdaq: SPCX) will become a component of the Nasdaq-100 Index prior to market open on Tuesday, July 7, 2026.”
The company entered public markets after years of private growth, fueled by advancements in reusable rocket technology, satellite deployment, and its Starlink broadband network.
Since its record IPO, SpaceX shares have experienced notable volatility. SPCX climbed to an intraday high above $225 during its first week of trading before retreating. The stock later closed at $153.23 on June 26, remaining above its IPO price but trading near its opening level as early enthusiasm gave way to more measured trading.
Nasdaq-100 Tracks Major Non-Financial Companies Listed on the Exchange
The Nasdaq-100 measures the performance of 100 of the largest non-financial companies listed on Nasdaq and is widely followed by investors.
“The Nasdaq-100 Index — which measures the performance of 100 of the largest Nasdaq-listed non-financial companies — is tracked by more than 200 investment products with over $800 billion in assets under management globally,” the company noted, adding:
“Nasdaq Global Indexes publishes and maintains more than 10,000 indexes across asset classes and geographies.”
Inclusion in the Nasdaq-100 can reshape trading activity, as index-tracking funds rebalance their portfolios to incorporate the new constituent. This process typically boosts trading volume and raises the company’s profile among institutional investors.
FTSE Russell is also adding SpaceX to its Russell U.S. equity indexes after Friday’s closing bell as part of its semi-annual reconstitution. The update requires passive funds tied to Russell benchmarks, including the iShares Russell 1000 ETF (IWB), to add SPCX shares as the new index lineup takes effect.
SpaceX’s rapid inclusion in major benchmarks reflects its large market value and strong trading activity, both key factors for index eligibility. Being added to widely followed indexes can also lead to increased demand for shares, as funds that track these benchmarks must buy stock in newly included companies.
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