The Financial Market Effects of Cryptocurrency Energy Usage

13 Pages Posted: 30 Jun 2019

See all articles by Shaen Corbet

Shaen Corbet

Dublin City University ; University of Waikato - Management School

Brian M. Lucey

Trinity Business School, Trinity College Dublin; Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics; Abu Dhabi University - College of Business Administration; Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics and Finance

Larisa Yarovaya

University of Southampton - Southampton Business School

Date Written: June 29, 2019

Abstract

Annual electricity consumption for cryptocurrency mining is growing yearly, driven by the increasing difficulty in mining. Total carbon production from mining now likely exceeds that generated by the entire nation of Portugal. This is a feature, not a bug, in cryptocurrencies. This paper investigates how Bitcoin's price volatility and the underlying dynamics of cryptocurrency's mining characteristics affect the energy markets, utilities companies, and green ETFs. The results show that continued cryptocurrency energy-usage impacts the performance of energy sector, which emphasises the importance of further assessment of environmental impacts of cryptocurrency growth.

Keywords: Cryptocurrency, mining, electricity, energy

JEL Classification: G00

Suggested Citation

Corbet, Shaen and Lucey, Brian M. and Yarovaya, Larisa, The Financial Market Effects of Cryptocurrency Energy Usage (June 29, 2019). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3412194 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3412194

Shaen Corbet

Dublin City University ( email )

Dublin 9
Ireland

University of Waikato - Management School ( email )

Hamilton
New Zealand

Brian M. Lucey (Contact Author)

Trinity Business School, Trinity College Dublin ( email )

The Sutherland Centre, Level 6, Arts Building
Dublin 2
Ireland
+353 1 608 1552 (Phone)
+353 1 679 9503 (Fax)

Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics ( email )

South Lushan Road
Nanchang, Jiangxi 330013
China

Abu Dhabi University - College of Business Administration ( email )

PO Box 59911
Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi 59911
United Arab Emirates

Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics and Finance ( email )

59C Nguyen Dình Chieu
6th Ward, District 3
Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh 70000
Vietnam

Larisa Yarovaya

University of Southampton - Southampton Business School ( email )

Highfield
University Road
Southampton, SO17 1BJ
United Kingdom

Do you have a job opening that you would like to promote on SSRN?

Paper statistics

Downloads
1,408
Abstract Views
6,995
Rank
23,341
PlumX Metrics