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Bill Maher, host of Real Time with Bill Maher, has voiced his strong criticism of cryptocurrency, calling it a major threat to the environment due to its excessive energy consumption.

What Happened: During an episode, Maher pointed out that the energy usage associated with Bitcoin BTC/USD mining is undoing much of the progress being made in green energy initiatives.

“All the progress that we’re making with green energy is being sucked away by crypto,” Maher remarked, noting that the industry consumes an estimated 8% of the world's electricity.

Maher highlighted the absurdity of cryptocurrency mining, describing it as “nonsense of finding a number,” and drew a stark comparison between crypto’s energy impact and the environmental cost of traditional fossil fuels.

“It’s comparable to putting 15.7 million additional gas-powered cars on the road,” Maher said, criticizing the environmental burden that crypto imposes.

Maher’s comments come as the debate around cryptocurrency's carbon footprint intensifies.

Bitcoin mining, in particular, has faced scrutiny for its reliance on energy-intensive proof-of-work protocols, which require vast data centers and computational power to validate transactions.

What’s Next: As the conversation on crypto's environmental footprint heats up, experts and industry leaders will likely tackle these issues at the upcoming Benzinga Future of Digital Assets event on Nov. 19.

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