IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/elmark/v28y2018i3d10.1007_s12525-018-0308-3.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

From chaining blocks to breaking even: A study on the profitability of bitcoin mining from 2012 to 2016

Author

Listed:
  • Jona Derks

    (Vrije Universiteit)

  • Jaap Gordijn

    (Vrije Universiteit)

  • Arjen Siegmann

    (Vrije Universiteit)

Abstract

Bitcoin is a widely-spread payment instrument, but it is doubtful whether the proof-of-work (PoW) nature of the system is financially sustainable on the long term. To assess sustainability, we focus on the bitcoin miners as they play an important role in the proof-of-work consensus mechanism of bitcoin to create trust in the currency. Miners offer their services against a reward while recurring expenses. Our results show that bitcoin mining has become less profitable over time to the extent that profits seem to converge to zero. This is what economic theory predicts for a competitive market that has a single homogenous good. We analyze the actors involved in the bitcoin system as well as the value flows between these actors using the e3value methodology. The value flows are quantified using publicly available data about the bitcoin network. However, two important value flows for the miners, namely hardware investments and expenses for electricity power, are not available from public sources. Therefore, we contribute an approach to estimate the installed base of bitcoin hardware equipment over time. Using this estimate, we can calculate the expenses miner should have. At the end of our analysis period, the marginal profit of mining a bitcoin becomes negative, i.e., to a loss for the miners. This loss is caused by the consensus mechanism of the bitcoin protocol, which requires a substantial investment in hardware and significant recurring daily expenses for energy. Therefore, a sustainable crypto currency needs higher payments for miners or more energy efficient algorithms to achieve consensus in a network about the truth of the distributed ledger.

Suggested Citation

  • Jona Derks & Jaap Gordijn & Arjen Siegmann, 2018. "From chaining blocks to breaking even: A study on the profitability of bitcoin mining from 2012 to 2016," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 28(3), pages 321-338, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:elmark:v:28:y:2018:i:3:d:10.1007_s12525-018-0308-3
    DOI: 10.1007/s12525-018-0308-3
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s12525-018-0308-3
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s12525-018-0308-3?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jamal Bouoiyour & Refk Selmi, 2015. "What Does Bitcoin Look Like?," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 16(2), pages 449-492, November.
    2. William Luther, 2015. "The monetary mechanism of stateless Somalia," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 165(1), pages 45-58, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Nadine Kathrin Ostern, 2020. "Blockchain in the IS research discipline: a discussion of terminology and concepts," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 30(2), pages 195-210, June.
    2. Pavel Ciaian & d’Artis Kancs & Miroslava Rajcaniova, 2021. "The economic dependency of bitcoin security," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 53(49), pages 5738-5755, October.
    3. Tea Livaic & Ana Perisic, 2019. "What can Google Tell us about Bitcoin Trading Volume in Croatia? Evidence from the Online Marketplace Localbitcoins," Interdisciplinary Description of Complex Systems - scientific journal, Croatian Interdisciplinary Society Provider Homepage: http://indecs.eu, vol. 17(4), pages 707-715.
    4. Vineet Paliwal & Shalini Chandra & Suneel Sharma, 2020. "Blockchain Technology for Sustainable Supply Chain Management: A Systematic Literature Review and a Classification Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-39, September.
    5. Klarin, Anton, 2020. "The decade-long cryptocurrencies and the blockchain rollercoaster: Mapping the intellectual structure and charting future directions," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 51(C).
    6. Nora Nahr & Marikka Heikkilä, 2022. "Uncovering the identity of Electronic Markets research through text mining techniques," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 32(3), pages 1257-1277, September.
    7. Rainer Alt & Roman Beck & Martin T. Smits, 2018. "FinTech and the transformation of the financial industry," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 28(3), pages 235-243, August.
    8. Nishant Sapra & Imlak Shaikh & Ashutosh Dash, 2023. "Impact of Proof of Work (PoW)-Based Blockchain Applications on the Environment: A Systematic Review and Research Agenda," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-29, March.
    9. Rainer Alt, 2020. "Electronic Markets on sustainability," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 30(4), pages 667-674, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Rodrigo Hakim das Neves, 2020. "Bitcoin pricing: impact of attractiveness variables," Financial Innovation, Springer;Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, vol. 6(1), pages 1-18, December.
    2. Bouri, Elie & Gupta, Rangan & Lahiani, Amine & Shahbaz, Muhammad, 2018. "Testing for asymmetric nonlinear short- and long-run relationships between bitcoin, aggregate commodity and gold prices," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 224-235.
    3. Xun Zhang & Fengbin Lu & Rui Tao & Shouyang Wang, 2021. "The time-varying causal relationship between the Bitcoin market and internet attention," Financial Innovation, Springer;Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, vol. 7(1), pages 1-19, December.
    4. Spencer Wheatley & Didier Sornette & Tobias Huber & Max Reppen & Robert N. Gantner, 2018. "Are Bitcoin Bubbles Predictable? Combining a Generalized Metcalfe's Law and the LPPLS Model," Papers 1803.05663, arXiv.org.
    5. Jablonski, Ryan S. & Oliver, Steven & Hastings, Justin V., 2017. "The Tortuga disease: the perverse effects of illicit foreign capital," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 67105, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    6. Bhuiyan, Rubaiyat Ahsan & Husain, Afzol & Zhang, Changyong, 2021. "A wavelet approach for causal relationship between bitcoin and conventional asset classes," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    7. Reginald D. Smith, 2017. "Bitcoin Average Dormancy: A Measure of Turnover and Trading Activity," Papers 1712.10287, arXiv.org, revised Feb 2018.
    8. Ahmed, Walid M.A., 2021. "Stock market reactions to upside and downside volatility of Bitcoin: A quantile analysis," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
    9. Jamal Bouoiyour & Refk Selmi, 2017. "The Bitcoin price formation: Beyond the fundamental sources," Working Papers hal-01548710, HAL.
    10. Panagiotidis, Theodore & Stengos, Thanasis & Vravosinos, Orestis, 2019. "The effects of markets, uncertainty and search intensity on bitcoin returns," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 220-242.
    11. Jamal Bouoiyour & Refk Selmi & Aviral Kumar Tiwari & Olaolu Richard Olayeni, 2015. "What Determines Bitcoin’s Value?," Working papers of CATT hal-01880330, HAL.
    12. Jamal Bouoiyour & Refk Selmi, 2017. "Are Trump and Bitcoin Good Partners?," Working Papers hal-01480031, HAL.
    13. Zhang, Guangyue & Sannella, Alexander & Brennan, Gerard & Talha Afzal, Muhammad, 2024. "Fair value estimates for illiquid cryptocurrency," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    14. Yaya, OlaOluwa S. & Lukman, Adewale F. & Vo, Xuan Vinh, 2022. "Persistence and volatility spillovers of bitcoin price to gold and silver prices," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    15. Costantini, Mauro & Maaitah, Ahmad & Mishra, Tapas & Sousa, Ricardo M., 2023. "Bitcoin market networks and cyberattacks," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 630(C).
    16. Burcu Kapar & Jose Olmo, 2021. "Analysis of Bitcoin prices using market and sentiment variables," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(1), pages 45-63, January.
    17. Shahzad, Syed Jawad Hussain & Bouri, Elie & Roubaud, David & Kristoufek, Ladislav & Lucey, Brian, 2019. "Is Bitcoin a better safe-haven investment than gold and commodities?," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 322-330.
    18. Kwon, Ji Ho, 2020. "Tail behavior of Bitcoin, the dollar, gold and the stock market index," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    19. Wang, Chen & Shen, Dehua & Li, Youwei, 2022. "Aggregate Investor Attention and Bitcoin Return: The Long Short-term Memory Networks Perspective," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    20. Yadong Liu & Nathee Naktnasukanjn & Anukul Tamprasirt & Tanarat Rattanadamrongaksorn, 2023. "Comparison of the Asymmetric Relationship between Bitcoin and Gold, Crude Oil, and the U.S. Dollar before and after the COVID-19 Outbreak," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 16(10), pages 1-17, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:elmark:v:28:y:2018:i:3:d:10.1007_s12525-018-0308-3. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.