The hottest Mining Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Crypto Topics

How to mine without mining

Irina Slav on energy • 1002 implied HN points • 24 Jan 24
💼 Business Mining Commodities Investment Environment Clean Energy
  1. Copper prices are forecasted to jump by 75% in 2025 due to energy transition and decline in the U.S. dollar.
  2. There are concerns about copper shortages, but traders often don't consider long-term impacts when trading commodities.
  3. Mining companies are facing challenges from resource nationalism and must find ways to mine sustainably to support the global transition to clean energy.

About that FB EV-bashing meme

The Land Desk • 530 implied HN points • 10 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Social media Electric Vehicles Mining
  1. Some viral posts try to discredit electric vehicles by highlighting the environmental impact of mining materials for their production.
  2. The environmental impact of electric vehicles needs to be compared to that of traditional gas-powered vehicles to provide context.
  3. Despite the mining required for electric vehicles, they often have lower emissions over their lifecycle compared to gasoline-powered cars.

Numlock Sunday: James Temple on the mine with 2.4 million vehicles in it

Numlock News • 137 implied HN points • 28 Jan 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Mining Renewable Energy Environmental Impact Energy transition
  1. A single nickel mine in Minnesota could unlock billions in EV subsidies, impacting electrification and consumers.
  2. Understanding the specific impacts of mining projects and legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act can shed light on climate goals and community conflicts.
  3. Navigating the politics of climate change on the ground involves balancing trade-offs, ensuring open dialogue, and making informed decisions about environmental impacts.
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The low-carbon energy transition will need less mining than fossil fuels, even when adjusted for waste rock

Sustainability by numbers • 201 implied HN points • 06 Nov 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Energy transition Mining Recycling
  1. Low-carbon energy transition requires less mining than fossil fuels, even when accounting for waste rock.
  2. Material requirements for low-carbon technologies are still lower than current mining requirements for fossil fuels.
  3. Electrification for vehicles will increase material requirements, but overall material needs will decrease with an energy transition.

🔅 Lesley Lokko's Architectural Revolution & Kenya's IMF Lifeline

baobabnewsletter • 58 implied HN points • 19 Jan 24
🌍 World Politics Architecture Geopolitics Mining Wealth
  1. Lesley Lokko is the first African woman to win the prestigious RIBA gold medal and is revolutionizing the architectural world through academia and diversity.
  2. Kenya received a significant financial boost from the IMF to tackle economic challenges and debts, emphasizing the country's resilience amidst crises.
  3. Red Sea ship diversions due to conflicts in the area have increased fuel demand in African ports, creating congestion and soaring prices.

Managing the coming lithium boom (and bust) in select African states

An Africanist Perspective • 395 implied HN points • 08 Apr 23
🌍 World Politics Mining Wealth Distribution Global Affairs Green Energy Resource Management
  1. African lithium-rich countries should focus on localizing refining and ownership structures to eliminate informational gaps with multinational companies as demand for lithium rises.
  2. Countries managing natural resources can benefit from strategies like diversifying economies, producing inputs for the sector, and adding value before export.
  3. African countries facing the lithium boom need to carefully navigate ownership structures, maximize value addition locally, and manage geopolitical pressures to make the most of their green metal deposits.

Review 2023 - Mining Economics

nicosmid • 39 implied HN points • 09 Jan 24
🔮 Crypto Bitcoin Mining Economics Blockchain
  1. Bitcoin's price in 2023 saw a 171.5% increase from the beginning of the year.
  2. The network difficulty increased significantly throughout the year by 103.6%.
  3. Hashprice stayed above $80/PH/Day due to a surge in transaction fees and Bitcoin's price increase in the last two months of 2023.

Peru's natural resources: CIA-linked US ambassador meets with mining and energy ministers to talk 'investments'

Geopolitical Economy Report • 398 implied HN points • 19 Jan 23
🌍 World Politics Natural resources Investments Mining Energy Coup
  1. Peru is rich in natural resources like copper, gold, zinc, silver, and natural gas, making it a hub for transnational corporations who heavily invest in the mining sector.
  2. President Pedro Castillo aimed to ensure that 70% of mining proceeds went to the state for social programs, but after a coup, the focus shifted back to foreign corporate investments, reversing progressive economic plans.
  3. Natural gas, particularly liquefied natural gas (LNG), plays a significant role in Peru's exports, with a notable shift towards Europe as a top importer following a boycott of Russian energy.

In search of lithium

Everything is Light • 235 implied HN points • 06 Jun 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Mining Geology Sustainability Renewables
  1. Cornwall has a rich mining history, especially with tin and copper, shaping modern Cornwall.
  2. The global demand for lithium is rising due to electric vehicles and solar panels, potentially leading to shortages by 2025.
  3. Mining lithium in Cornwall is seen as an opportunity for economic growth, jobs, and a sustainable supply of a crucial element for the green transition.

Ditch cars and reduce mining

The Land Desk • 255 implied HN points • 21 Feb 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Transportation Mining Electric Vehicles Environmental Impact
  1. Transportation sector with internal combustion engines is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S.
  2. Electric vehicles require more minerals like copper, rare earth elements, cobalt, nickel, and lithium for batteries.
  3. Transitioning from internal combustion cars to electric vehicles may result in a significant increase in mining, which can harm the environment and communities.

Proof of Work: the choice between centralizing over time or insecure.

Senatus’s Newsletter • 19 implied HN points • 12 Jan 24
🔮 Crypto Mining Security Market cap Economics Decentralization
  1. Every Proof of Work coin must choose between specialized hashing, leading to centralization over time, or generalized hashing, resulting in a constantly insecure chain.
  2. Specialized hashing algorithms for Proof of Work require specific hardware, electricity, space, maintenance, and capital, leading to centralization over time.
  3. Generalized hashing algorithms allow more participation but can make the chain insecure due to the vast latent hashrate available for potential attacks.

Problems Posing as Solutions, Part 3

Field Guide to the Anthropocene • 117 implied HN points • 30 Jun 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Ecology Mining Conservation Biodiversity Sustainability
  1. Personal, economic, and ecological problems are often presented as solutions with unforeseen negative consequences.
  2. SUVs are becoming an increasing burden on the planet, posing threats to the environment and public safety.
  3. Seafloor mining, especially in the absence of thorough scientific understanding, risks irreversible damage to deep-sea ecosystems and biodiversity.

Atoms for Copper

Material World • 120 implied HN points • 07 May 23
🔬 Science Mining Innovation Nuclear Environmental Impact
  1. Copper is a vital metal in our daily lives, but it is becoming harder to obtain in high quantities due to diminishing natural resources.
  2. In the past, there were radical ideas, like using nuclear weapons for mining copper, but technological advancements in mining techniques eventually proved more effective.
  3. Innovation in mining methods has been a gradual process, leading to better extraction of metals like copper, making them more accessible and affordable over time.

EU's critical minerals, nickel labor, and EVs may not cut it for auto sector

Green Rocks • 78 implied HN points • 09 Mar 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Mining Renewables Energy transition Sustainability Biodiversity
  1. Climate technologies require huge amounts of metal, impacting mining and emissions reduction efforts.
  2. Concerns rise over labor conditions in Indonesia's booming nickel industry with reports of worker mistreatment.
  3. The auto sector faces challenges in meeting climate goals, requiring carbon standard agreements and increased renewable energy use.

Quiet Before the Storm?

nicosmid • 39 implied HN points • 08 Aug 23
🔮 Crypto Bitcoin Mining Market Analysis Industry
  1. The mining industry is currently experiencing a period of quiet and stability.
  2. Key factors like Bitcoin price, network hashrate, and ASIC prices are maintaining a steady trend.
  3. This calm period may indicate a break for the industry after a significant growth phase.

Hydro Cooled ASICs

nicosmid • 58 implied HN points • 18 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Cryptocurrency Mining
  1. Hydro-cooled ASICs utilize water for cooling instead of fans, enhancing thermal conductivity and increasing hashrate output
  2. Water-cooling is more effective than air-cooling for mining equipment as it can absorb more heat efficiently
  3. This method may be costly but offers superior cooling benefits for mining operations

1 Year Until the Next Halving

nicosmid • 39 implied HN points • 25 Apr 23
🔮 Crypto Bitcoin Mining Cryptocurrency
  1. Bitcoin halving occurs every 210,000 blocks or about every four years.
  2. In a year, the block subsidy will be halved from 6.25 to 3.125, impacting miner revenues.
  3. This article discusses the past impact of halving events and how to prepare for the next one.

Green Imperialism

A Natural Language • 0 implied HN points • 11 Mar 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Fossil fuels Mining Imperialism
  1. There is little data to support tracking or curbing carbon emissions tied to consumption or industrialized activities.
  2. Blindly phasing out fossil fuels could lead to economic dislocation and food shortages.
  3. Green tech, conservancies, and mining are interconnected and can perpetuate imperialism through different means.

Following Flows V: Pool Cross-Pollination

Coin Metrics' State of the Network • 0 implied HN points • 05 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Cryptocurrency Blockchain Mining Decentralization Data Analysis
  1. Decentralization concerns exist within Bitcoin mining due to the dominant control by a few major pools like Foundry and AntPool.
  2. Cross-pollination between mining pools is observed through shared addresses and flow of funds, indicating potential coordination among pools.
  3. Mining pools utilize different payout models and external networks like Cobo's Loop for liquidity, leading to a complex landscape with hidden consolidation of power.

Some Bitcoin thoughts

Joshua Gans' Newsletter • 0 implied HN points • 24 Dec 13
🔮 Crypto Payments Innovation Mining Platform Bitcoin
  1. Money is a platform where value transmission depends on belief and agreements among people. Stability and acceptance are crucial for efficient transactions.
  2. Bitcoin's stability as a payments platform is weak, but it offers potential benefits for wealth storage and operating outside government surveillance.
  3. Bitcoin's innovation as a payments platform, especially its programmable nature, is significant and revolutionary in the world of monetary economics.