Bitcoin mining is the process through which new Bitcoins enter into circulation. Powered by proof-of-work blockchain – a decentralized ledger of all the transactions across a network – groups of approved transactions form a block, then join to create a chain. Bitcoin mining is the process of adding a block to the chain. Mining is performed using sophisticated hardware to come up with the 64-digit hexadecimal number (a ‘hash’) that is less than or equal to the target hash. Essentially, it’s guesswork. The process is relatively straightforward: be the first computer to find the solution and receive a predetermined amount of Bitcoin as an incentive for doing the work and recording transactions. Approximately every 10 minutes, the Bitcoin protocol generates a random number, and people around the world are using computers to guess that number through trial and error. It is entirely probabilistic, which means the more computing power you have operating, the greater share of the Bitcoin reward you receive. The process then resets itself approximately every 10 minutes. The mining process incentivizes miners to efficiently use the energy required to power the miners. It all comes down to electricity, computing power and efficiency.

The concept of sustainable Bitcoin mining is simple: use clean renewable energy sources to mine Bitcoin. The question is, can Bitcoin go green? Iris Energy has shown that it well and truly can, building out a sustainable business model that uses 100% renewable energy, supports local communities and helps solve energy market challenges. Iris Energy believes western energy markets, regional communities and the global Bitcoin network are transitioning into the decarbonized world. We also believe Iris Energy is at the forefront of this evolution.

Sustainable Bitcoin mining has an asymmetric return profile and provides attractive upside. When the price of Bitcoin falls, higher-cost miners may be unable to pay their power bill and therefore exit the network. For lower-cost miners like Iris Energy, using renewable energy, our share of the global network can go up, and we start receiving more Bitcoin each day. With a greater share of the global network hash rate and stable power costs, our unit cost of production falls and our cost per Bitcoin mined goes down. Then we look on the flip side: what happens when the cost of Bitcoin rises? The real world can no longer scale exponentially to keep pace with price rises. As the price of Bitcoin goes up, there isn’t immediate access to additional power capacity and data center infrastructures to keep up. The ability to monetize Bitcoin all comes down to access to real world data centers capacity, computers, transformers, capital, grid connection infrastructure and a great team. The real world vs digital world dislocation hits the industry head on – and Iris Energy is well positioned to capitalised on this opportunity.

Beyond releasing new coins into circulation, mining is central to Bitcoin’s (and many other cryptocurrencies’) security. It verifies and secures the blockchain, which allows cryptocurrencies to function as a peer-to-peer decentralized network without any need for oversight from a third party. And it creates the incentive for miners to contribute their computing power to the network.

Bitcoin mining opportunities are abundant, but it all hinges on a player’s ability to meet the real-world challenges mentioned above, and those that can address these challenges are going to be best positioned to take advantage. In an environment where everyone may have access to efficient hardware technology, the whole battleground for the sector moves away from who’s got the most efficient chip towards who has the best access to energy and the required infrastructure. Enter: sustainable Bitcoin mining. Iris Energy saw the opportunity to deliver an institutional grade infrastructure proposition to the market. By building and owning real assets that mine Bitcoin using 100% renewable energy, Iris Energy supports local communities and develops sustainable energy infrastructure. This has also enabled the creation of a geographically diversified portfolio of projects: across energy markets and jurisdictions. This is the Iris Energy competitive advantage. Iris Energy is focused on using 100% renewable energy, and only entering markets where the incremental load we bring to that market can help solve energy market challenges and generate positive outcomes. It’s about fundamentally integrating into energy markets and communities and helping de-risk our underlying business.

We are a sustainable Bitcoin miner, with a highly experienced energy and infrastructure management team. We build, own and operate real assets including data center infrastructure powered by renewable energy