Are NFTs Bad for the Environment?

Jim Haastrup
3 Min Read

There is a lot of talks lately about the environmental impact of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Some people believe that they are bad for the environment, while others think they are actually good for it. So, which is it? Are NFTs bad for the environment, or are they suitable for it? In this blog post, we will take a closer look at this question and try to answer it once and for all.

The first thing we need to understand is what an NFT is. An NFT is a digital asset that is stored on a blockchain. This means that it is not subject to the same rules and regulations as physical assets, like gold or silver. Because of this, they can be bought, sold, or traded without going through any central authority.

This also means that NFTs are not regulated by any government body. This lack of regulation has led some people to believe that NFTs are bad for the environment because they use up a lot of energy. After all, every transaction made on a blockchain requires a certain amount of energy to process.

However, there are several reasons why this argument does not hold up. First of all, the energy required to process an NFT transaction is minuscule compared to the energy needed to process a traditional financial transaction. In fact, according to one estimate, an NFT transaction uses about 0.00033% of the energy needed to process a credit card transaction.

Furthermore, the vast majority of NFTs are created on Ethereum, which is a blockchain that is specifically designed to be energy-efficient. In fact, Ethereum uses about 90% less energy than Bitcoin, which is another popular blockchain.

So, while it is true that NFTs do require some amount of energy to function, this argument does not hold up when we compare them to other forms of digital assets. In fact, NFTs may actually be better for the environment than traditional financial transactions.

Now that we have looked at both sides of the argument, it is clear that NFTs are not bad for the environment. In fact, they may even be good for it! Thanks for reading

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Jim Haastrup is a blockchain and technical writer at Voice of Crypto, where he covers cryptocurrency, NFTs, DeFi, GameFi, and the Metaverse. Before joining Voice of Crypto in 2022, he spent over three years as a senior technical writer across multiple blockchain projects, including Hashtoken, Naxar, and Bino, where he specialized in whitepapers, technical documentation, and content strategy for decentralized finance applications. Jim began his career as a junior technical writer at RM in Canada before advancing to lead technical writing roles at Bulltoken, a cryptocurrency crowdfunding platform in Norway. Throughout his career, he has authored more than 800 articles and collaborated with development teams to translate complex blockchain protocols into accessible content for diverse audiences including developers, investors, and crypto enthusiasts. His work spans ICO/STO/IDO research and analysis, cryptocurrency market trend forecasting, and social media management for crypto brands. Jim has helped numerous startups build their online presence through strategic content marketing, technical whitepapers, and pitch deck development. Jim graduated from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Nigeria with a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering in 2021. Disclosure: No significant crypto holdings.