A Heatpunk's Manifesto

A Heatpunk’s Manifesto

Energy consumption is essential for human prosperity. Energy consumption is not immoral. It reflects our ability to harness the inherent potential of the natural world to our benefit. No prosperous society exists without significant energy use, and nearly half of all energy consumption is dedicated to heating.

If someone desires to use energy how they see fit, they should have the right to do so, provided it does not infringe on others’ rights to life, liberty, and private property. No use of energy is perfectly efficient - heat is always released. So who is to judge what is wasteful?

The emergence of bitcoin as a neutral and ethical monetary protocol introduces a new way to use energy via the mining proof-of-work mechanism. Miners consume electricity with the expectation of rewarded economic value. Heat is released as a side effect. The creation of this decentralized peer-to-peer electronic cash has incentivized a new industry of energy consumption and conversion to heat.

Bitcoin mining secures the most robust monetary system known to man, while hunting cheap and wasted energy through its hashing algorithm. Rather than viewing mining solely as a rewards-based system that aims to return more economic value than the cost of energy consumed, it can instead be recognized as a new tool for electrically powered heating infrastructure, which economically subsidizes one of the largest sectors of global energy consumption. Bitcoin miner exhaust heat is a product, not a problem.

Since energy and heat are required for human prosperity, we must ensure they are available in abundance. We must defend the ability to use energy however we desire. When I consume energy to mine bitcoin, there is nothing to criticize. I could be purposefully supporting a decentralized protocol, monetizing resources, or offsetting necessary heating costs. A bitcoin miner is not a bad use of energy. Moreover, a bitcoin heating system rewards heat consumption, reduces waste, and secures the neutral monetary network.

The incentives are linked. Mining energy costs can be subsidized through heat monetization, and heating costs can be subsidized with mining rewards. For bitcoin heating systems to exist, the bitcoin network must exist and remain robust against threats. Physical decentralization of bitcoin mining secures the network against centralized attacks, and global distribution of heating systems powered by bitcoin helps further decentralize the network.

The combination of economic, utilitarian and ideological incentives of bitcoin mining will drive hashrate distribution to the most diffuse locations: to the sources of energy production where cost is lowest, into millions of heating systems that can be subsidized by mining rewards, and into the hands of the most convicted, who will support the network regardless of outcome.

We cannot expect individuals, governments, corporations or other faceless organizations to immediately embrace energy consumption for bitcoin mining. Little do they know, it is in their economic best interest to do so. They will learn. Heating applications of this new technology will allow individuals to protect their wealth, reduce waste, and create a more prosperous society for all. It is to their benefit to let us mine and consume energy at will.

Heatpunks deplore regulations on energy production and consumption. To attempt to hinder energy consumption used for mining is to fight against the laws of thermodynamics themselves. Energy is not just available to be used; it is meant to be. Bitcoin mining will hunt trapped and wasted energy. It will target heating applications that can benefit from its utility. It serves as a vehicle that transfers energy resources into heat, and rewards the driver with economic value. In the race of entropy generation, bitcoin mining leads the way.

Mining only extends as far as its value is recognized. Heatpunk systems add additional utility benefits to mining operations. Through aligned incentives, we the Heatpunks will infiltrate all nooks and crannies of the world, physically distributing hash power. Mining for heat as a desirable product adds a direct utility value to bitcoin network security. It reduces sensitivity to pure economic incentives. It becomes difficult to vilify, more widespread, harder to stop, and will accelerate adoption.

We the Heatpunks are dedicated to advancing systems that capture, repurpose and reuse bitcoin miner heat energy. We are reducing net costs and eliminating waste. We are setting the standard for conscientious energy consumption. We are the heating militia of the bitcoin network, driven by the innate human need for warmth. We are fortifying bitcoin’s strength in this monetary revolution.

Heatpunks are builders, innovators, and bitcoiners. We are aligning incentives and following the natural laws of thermodynamics. We believe hashrate heating is key to a hyper-decentralized bitcoin network. Our systems and insights are available for all. Heating demand will not be stopped, and as such, neither will we.

We the Heatpunks seek your questions, concerns and expertise as we navigate this emerging industry. We hope to engage with you and integrate with all viable heating applications in good faith. We will not, however, stop mining for heat or reduce our energy consumption because you disagree with our methodology. Let us continue in peace and prosperity.

Keep building.