China is cracking down on electricity-guzzling Bitcoin. Others should follow its lead

Huge concrete data centres, permanently plugged into power plants and telephone exchanges, maintain much of online life. But the infrastructure behind internet-based cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Dogecoin and Ethereum is more like a rusty travelling circus. And right now, that circus is on the road. Bitcoin relies on a network of millions of specialist machines, known as miners, around 70% of which are currently based in China . Like a never-ending game of Hungry Hippos , each player hammers their mining machines 24/7 to try and scoop up as many bitcoins as possible. With only a few hippos, its easy…