A few days ago a new step in the agriculture related to the cryptocurrency world was announced on Twitter. Kamil Brejcha, the co-founder of a cryptocurrency exchange called NakamotoX (still in the alpha development phase), successfully developed a project in which the excess heat generated by mining rigs was used to cultivate tomatoes in a greenhouse. He wrote the following on his official Twitter account: “Who would imagine that mining cryptocurrencies and agriculture can work together? The first batch of cryptomatoes is ready to be harvested. We are using the excess heat for the tomato greenhouse and it is working.”
This presents a link between the mining of cryptocurrencies and agriculture that has not been seen before.
According to Brejcha, the heat generated by the mining rigs is directed towards a greenhouse where tomatoes are grown. The heat helps to maintain an adequate temperature for the growth of the tomatoes, which Brejcha calls cryptomatoes.
He explained that a container was developed to conduct the heat from the mining rigs in the basement to the greenhouse on the surface.
It is worth mentioning that this project is still being developed and this is the reason why Brejcha could not reveal more details about it, such as the location of the installations or the cryptocurrency being mined. However, he was able to reveal some more details in the discussion that followed his Tweet. For example, it was published that the greenhouse is spread on five acres of land and the energy used in the mining process comes from 100% biodegradable components. Moreover, the first harvested cryptomatoes will soon be put on sale in grocery stores.
Likewise, Brejcha explained that this project is only the first part of an agricultural startup based on the blockchain technology. The company will be revealed to the public in the near future. This means the method used for growing the cryptomatoes could be used to cultivate other food as well in the near future.
The quantity of heat generated by the rigs dedicated to the mining of cryptocurrencies is substantial and we are seeing a variety of initiatives that are trying to use this subproducts of the cryptocurrency mining industry. One of the most common uses is to divert the heat and use it for home heating purposes. A home heating device operating on this principle was announced recently and it is called QC1.
