Sustainable Bitcoin certificates are tradable attestations that a defined quantity of bitcoin mining was powered by clean or low-carbon energy, allowing holders to claim the environmental attributes of that hashrate. They function analogously to renewable energy certificates, decoupling the green-energy claim from the mined coins so it can be sold to ESG-conscious buyers. The mechanism aims to channel capital toward decarbonising proof-of-work mining.
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- Each certificate represents a verified link between a measured amount of bitcoin mining and a quantity of clean electricity, mirroring the renewable energy certificate model used in conventional power markets. By making the environmental attribute separately tradable, the scheme lets sustainability-focused investors fund greener mining without directly operating it. Critics question additionality and double-counting, the same scrutiny applied to carbon-offset and REC markets generally.