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Seven Years Dark: Inside Moscow’s Bitcoin Mining Shutdown
Moscow has banned cryptocurrency mining, including participation in mining pools, until December 31, 2032, citing the need to prevent power-capacity shortfalls. This decision impacts a significant portion of Bitcoin's global hashrate originating from Russia. The ban occurs amidst discussions of using domestically mined Bitcoin for international payments to circumvent Western sanctions, a move previously targeted by U.S. sanctions against firms like BitRiver.
WashU fuel cell breakthrough targets data centers that keep draining the grid
Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have developed a new catalyst for low-temperature fuel cells that significantly improves durability and performance, potentially enabling data centers to generate their own electricity from hydrogen. The breakthrough involves a novel carbon nanostructure that allows platinum-cobalt nanoparticles to remain stable and highly ordered at high temperatures, retaining 85% of their performance after extensive testing. While still in the laboratory phase, this development could reduce the strain on the energy grid caused by increasing data center electricity consumption.
AI Yi-Yi!
NVIDIA is working with energy leaders to develop AI data centers that can help fortify the power grid. These facilities can generate significant heat, warming surrounding areas by up to 9.1°C, which presents both challenges and opportunities for energy management.