這款加密貨幣自稱環保，能否取代比特幣？
Anne Sraders
2021-05-12
一款聲稱具有環保特性的新加密貨幣于上周開始交易。這款名為奇亞幣（Chia）的虛擬貨幣由Chia Network打造，它標榜自己是一款綠色生態友好型加密貨幣，能夠替代比特幣（Bitcoin）。
盡管加密貨幣近期的價格出現了飆升，但因為其開采和交易過程中的大量碳足跡而備受詬病?！伴_采”比特幣和以太幣（Ethereum）這類虛擬貨幣會消耗大量能源，因為這些網絡背后的計算機需要一步一步地解開方程式，而礦工為了最終取得虛擬貨幣，則要為這些被用于確認區塊鏈上交易的強大礦機支付賬單。（這個流程名為“工作量證明”）。
為改變這一現狀，奇亞幣提供了另一種途徑，它稱自身所用流程的能耗要比挖礦低得多。該代幣于5月4日開始交易，價格約為一枚1600美元，后來飆升至1934美元，然而其在Coinbase的價格于5月9日下午暴跌至1060美元，跌幅達到了40%。不過對在歷史上充滿波動的數字資產來說，這種跌宕起伏的經歷都是必經之路。
D.A. Davidson報道Coinbase這類加密貨幣交易所的研究總監吉爾·盧里亞表示：“加密貨幣資產將繼續保持其波動性?！比欢麑ζ鎭啂诺木G色宣言感到驚訝，他對《財富》雜志說：“它在市場上應該會有一定的需求。”
奇亞幣的交易代碼為“XCH”，由BitTorrent的創始人布拉姆·科恩于2017年創造。公司網站稱，像安德森-霍洛維茨（Andreessen Horowitz）和Greylock Partners這類極具分量的投資公司都注資了科恩的項目。與比特幣等加密貨幣所使用的耗能型工作量證明流程相比，奇亞幣采用了其所謂的“空間和實踐證明”（proof of space and time）。該流程是借助硬盤上閑置存儲空間作為其驗證區塊鏈交易的方法。奇亞幣稱這種方式不是挖礦，而是“種礦”。
有鑒于其技術的獨特性，人們可以在家輕松地“種礦”（至少目前是如此），它與比特幣挖礦行業不斷擴張數據中心的普遍做法有著很大的區別。人們對奇亞幣的興趣已經促使那些可能會成為礦主的人士將目光投向了硬盤，甚至在這款加密貨幣開始交易之前引發了東南亞硬盤的短缺現象。
“并非是什么新事物”
當然，這種方式也非完全是綠色的。Chia Network稱，它依然會使用能源，但要低于比特幣這類加密貨幣。
然而，并非只有奇亞幣一家公司在削減能耗并提供可能“更環保”的替代流程。名為“權益證明”（proof of stake）的另一種流程在近些年不斷發展壯大。以太幣正計劃在未來幾個月中將其挖礦流程調整為權益證明，在這個流程中，權益者將持有的加密貨幣作為抵押物，以確保獲取區塊鏈網絡，而不是礦工，同時也無需運行高能耗計算機。
盧里亞稱，加密貨幣行業的節能減排舉措“并不是什么新事物”。他表示，人們之所以對權益證明如此之感興趣，部分原因在于“工作量證明會給環境和資源帶來的大量負擔”。
一些評論家指出，奇亞幣的挖礦（或“種礦”）流程依然取決于硬件，而且如果其網絡的規模擴大之后，這個流程可能會破壞其低能耗的價值主張。
Ava Labs的總裁約翰·吳（音譯）稱：“我擔心的是，當這種虛擬貨幣在發展壯大之后，其空間和時間證明模式將會與比特幣的工作量證明相當，也就是你最終必須購買更多的設備才能夠得到回報?！盇va Labs擁有自己的權益證明區塊鏈平臺Avalanche。約翰·吳指出，然而，奇亞幣的“單位能耗可能比比特幣更低。”（在公司自己看來，Chia Network在其白皮書中稱，公司預計“種礦模式比工作量證明或權益證明更為去中心化，而且可以大幅減少能源和資源消耗。”）
盧里亞認為：“更加[環保]當然能夠作為一個賣點，來吸引一部分加密貨幣業界人士?！比欢赋?，推翻比特幣和以太幣長期的統治對任何初出茅廬的加密貨幣來說都不是一件輕松的事情。
在全球各地不斷涌現的加密貨幣中，奇亞幣只不過是其中一個縮影罷了，而那些與D.A. Davidson的盧里亞有著共同看法的人認為，“市場上很有可能會出現更多可以帶來獨特價值的加密貨幣資產，而且這些加密貨幣也會有一定的受眾?！保ㄘ敻恢形木W）
譯者：馮豐
審校：夏林
一款聲稱具有環保特性的新加密貨幣于上周開始交易。這款名為奇亞幣（Chia）的虛擬貨幣由Chia Network打造，它標榜自己是一款綠色生態友好型加密貨幣，能夠替代比特幣（Bitcoin）。
盡管加密貨幣近期的價格出現了飆升，但因為其開采和交易過程中的大量碳足跡而備受詬病?！伴_采”比特幣和以太幣（Ethereum）這類虛擬貨幣會消耗大量能源，因為這些網絡背后的計算機需要一步一步地解開方程式，而礦工為了最終取得虛擬貨幣，則要為這些被用于確認區塊鏈上交易的強大礦機支付賬單。（這個流程名為“工作量證明”）。
為改變這一現狀，奇亞幣提供了另一種途徑，它稱自身所用流程的能耗要比挖礦低得多。該代幣于5月4日開始交易，價格約為一枚1600美元，后來飆升至1934美元，然而其在Coinbase的價格于5月9日下午暴跌至1060美元，跌幅達到了40%。不過對在歷史上充滿波動的數字資產來說，這種跌宕起伏的經歷都是必經之路。
D.A. Davidson報道Coinbase這類加密貨幣交易所的研究總監吉爾·盧里亞表示：“加密貨幣資產將繼續保持其波動性?！比欢?，他對奇亞幣的綠色宣言感到驚訝，他對《財富》雜志說：“它在市場上應該會有一定的需求。”
奇亞幣的交易代碼為“XCH”，由BitTorrent的創始人布拉姆·科恩于2017年創造。公司網站稱，像安德森-霍洛維茨（Andreessen Horowitz）和Greylock Partners這類極具分量的投資公司都注資了科恩的項目。與比特幣等加密貨幣所使用的耗能型工作量證明流程相比，奇亞幣采用了其所謂的“空間和實踐證明”（proof of space and time）。該流程是借助硬盤上閑置存儲空間作為其驗證區塊鏈交易的方法。奇亞幣稱這種方式不是挖礦，而是“種礦”。
有鑒于其技術的獨特性，人們可以在家輕松地“種礦”（至少目前是如此），它與比特幣挖礦行業不斷擴張數據中心的普遍做法有著很大的區別。人們對奇亞幣的興趣已經促使那些可能會成為礦主的人士將目光投向了硬盤，甚至在這款加密貨幣開始交易之前引發了東南亞硬盤的短缺現象。
“并非是什么新事物”
當然，這種方式也非完全是綠色的。Chia Network稱，它依然會使用能源，但要低于比特幣這類加密貨幣。
然而，并非只有奇亞幣一家公司在削減能耗并提供可能“更環?！钡奶娲鞒?。名為“權益證明”（proof of stake）的另一種流程在近些年不斷發展壯大。以太幣正計劃在未來幾個月中將其挖礦流程調整為權益證明，在這個流程中，權益者將持有的加密貨幣作為抵押物，以確保獲取區塊鏈網絡，而不是礦工，同時也無需運行高能耗計算機。
盧里亞稱，加密貨幣行業的節能減排舉措“并不是什么新事物”。他表示，人們之所以對權益證明如此之感興趣，部分原因在于“工作量證明會給環境和資源帶來的大量負擔”。
一些評論家指出，奇亞幣的挖礦（或“種礦”）流程依然取決于硬件，而且如果其網絡的規模擴大之后，這個流程可能會破壞其低能耗的價值主張。
Ava Labs的總裁約翰·吳（音譯）稱：“我擔心的是，當這種虛擬貨幣在發展壯大之后，其空間和時間證明模式將會與比特幣的工作量證明相當，也就是你最終必須購買更多的設備才能夠得到回報?！盇va Labs擁有自己的權益證明區塊鏈平臺Avalanche。約翰·吳指出，然而，奇亞幣的“單位能耗可能比比特幣更低?！保ㄔ诠咀约嚎磥?，Chia Network在其白皮書中稱，公司預計“種礦模式比工作量證明或權益證明更為去中心化，而且可以大幅減少能源和資源消耗?！保?/p>
盧里亞認為：“更加[環保]當然能夠作為一個賣點，來吸引一部分加密貨幣業界人士。”然而他指出，推翻比特幣和以太幣長期的統治對任何初出茅廬的加密貨幣來說都不是一件輕松的事情。
在全球各地不斷涌現的加密貨幣中，奇亞幣只不過是其中一個縮影罷了，而那些與D.A. Davidson的盧里亞有著共同看法的人認為，“市場上很有可能會出現更多可以帶來獨特價值的加密貨幣資產，而且這些加密貨幣也會有一定的受眾?！保ㄘ敻恢形木W）
譯者：馮豐
審校：夏林
A new cryptocurrency that claims to be climate-friendly debuted in trading last week. The virtual coin, called chia and created by a platform called the Chia Network, advertises itself as "a 'green,' eco-friendly alternative" to Bitcoin.
Despite their astronomical recent performance, cryptocurrencies are lately coming under fire for their massive carbon footprints. "Mining" virtual coins such as Bitcoin and Ethereum uses tons of energy as the machines behind these networks churn away at solving equations. For miners' efforts—that is, paying bills to operate powerful computers that confirm transactions on the blockchain, the distributed ledger technology underpinning cryptocurrencies—they receive coins as a reward. (The process is called "proof of work.")
Chia presents an alternative to the status quo, relying on a process that it claims is far less energy-intensive than mining. The coin started trading on May 4 at around $1,600 a pop and rose to as high as $1,934, but had sunk over 40% to roughly $1,060 as of May 9 afternoon, per Coinbase. Yet such of slumps are part and parcel for the historically volatile digital assets.
"Crypto assets are going to continue to be volatile," says Gil Luria, director of research at D.A. Davidson, who covers the likes of crypto exchange Coinbase. But he's not surprised by chia's green messaging: "There's going to be some demand for that," he tells Fortune.
Chia, trading as "XCH", was conceived by BitTorrent founder Bram Cohen in 2017. Heavy-hitting investment firms like Andreessen Horowitz and Greylock Partners are backing Cohen's project, according to its site. Instead of the energy-draining proof of work process used by the likes of Bitcoin, chia uses what it calls "proof of space and time." The process uses unused storage space on hard drives as part of its method of verifying blockchain transactions. Instead of mining, chia calls its process "farming."
Because of its unique technology, chia can be "farmed" easily at home (at least for now)—a big difference from the sprawling data centers that dominate Bitcoin mining. Interest in the coin has already prompted would-be miners to scoop up hard drives, even creating a shortage in Southeast Asia in the lead up to the coin's trading launch.
“Not a new effort”
The method isn't totally green, of course. It still uses energy, but at lower rates than the likes of Bitcoin, Chia Network claims.
But chia's process isn't the only one that cuts down on energy usage and presents a possibly "greener" alternative. Another process, called "proof of stake," has been gaining ground in recent years. Ethereum is planning in the coming months to switch its mining process over to proof of stake, wherein stakers—rather than miners—put up crypto holdings as collateral in order to secure a blockchain network, rather than by running energy-consuming computers.
Attempts to go green in the cryptocurrency industry are "not a new effort," says Luria. Part of the reason there's so much interest in proof of stake is due to "the big toll that proof of work takes both on the environment and on resources," he says.
Some critics point out that chia's mining (or "farming") process still relies on hardware, and should the network become big, that could potentially undermine its energy-efficient value proposition.
"I do worry that when they do grow, this proof of space and time has kind of the same methodology [as] proof of work, like Bitcoin, and their model is: you ultimately have to buy more equipment to get paid," says John Wu, president of Ava Labs, which has its own proof-of-stake blockchain platform, Avalanche. Wu notes that chia is, however, "probably, on a per unit basis, more efficient" than Bitcoin. (As for the company, Chia Network claims it expects the "farming will be more decentralized than Proof of Work or Proof of Stake and significantly less energy and resource intensive," per their whitepaper.)
"Being more [environmentally-friendly] certainly could be something that would attract a certain part of the crypto community," Luria suggests. But toppling Bitcoin and Ethereum's longstanding supremacy, he argues, won't be an easy feat for any up-and-coming coin.
Chia is but one of a cornucopia of cryptocurrencies popping up everywhere, and those like D.A. Davidson's Luria believe "it's quite possible that there will be many more crypto assets that add a unique value and will have some level of following."
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