AI Data Centers Could Overtake Bitcoin’s 75 Mt CO2e Footprint by 2030

4 articles · Updated · cryptorank.io · May 16

Bitcoin mining now uses about 150–170 TWh a year and emits roughly 65–75 million tonnes of CO2e, keeping crypto’s energy use at the center of policy and market scrutiny in 2026.
AI computing is already estimated to generate 33–80 Mt CO2e in 2025 from power-hungry GPU data centers running large language models, image generators and recommendation systems.
Experts say that gap could close quickly, with AI inference workloads scaling fast enough to surpass Bitcoin’s carbon footprint by 2030.
The comparison broadens environmental risk beyond crypto, pointing to rising energy demand, emissions pressure and possible regulatory constraints for both miners and cloud infrastructure.

Is the world's insatiable demand for AI and crypto locking us into a future of higher energy bills and power shortages?

In the energy battle between AI and Bitcoin, which technology's massive environmental footprint will society ultimately reject?