Ben Gagnon (Bitfarms) on Separating Fact from Fiction in Bitcoin Mining (EP. 303)

Ben Gagnon, the Chief Mining Officer at Bitfarms, joins the show. In this episode we cover:

• Bitfarms' journey to the public markets in the US
• Ben's early efforts in flared gas mining
• How immersion cooling could provide operational efficiencies 
• Bitfarms' site selection methodology 
• How Bitfarms secures power originally built for now-departed industries 
• How Quebec overbuilt electrical infrastructure 
• The benefit of miners locating themselves in Quebec and scooping up stranded power 
• How Bitfarms took over a shuttered hockey stick factory 
• Why Bitfarms is so keen on stranded hydro 
• How Bitfarms curtails their power usage – and why curtailment makes sense 
• Finding excess power in Argentina and Paraguay 
• Does Bitfarms have a low carbon intensity mandate? 
• Why being pro-renewable is a good business decision 
• Why Bitfarms isn't focusing on Texas right now 
• How Bitcoin is the most efficient way to monetize stranded energy assets
• Bitfarms' criteria for compelling energy resources 
• The progress of the Bitcoin Mining Council and the bettering of transparency in the mining space 
• Where Ben sees room for improvement in the mining sector 
• The lack of standardization in reporting and valuation around mining firms 
• The flaws in Digiconomist's estimates of Bitcoin's energy consumption 
• Issues with academic claims that Bitcoin miners produce significant quantities of e-waste
• Why Bitcoin ASICs are more recyclable and have long lifespans 
• The academia and press to policy pipeline 

Content mentioned: 

• Ben in Bitcoin Magazine: We Need to Talk About the Not Science Behind Digiconomist
• Ben in Bitcoin Magazine: We Need to Talk About the Climate Problem in Bitcoin Mining

Sponsor notes:

• Compass Mining is the world's first and largest online marketplace for bitcoin mining hardware, hosting, and ASIC reselling. Start mining your own bitcoin by visiting compassmining.io