Crypto mining and inflation have long been thought to not be connected. But is that the case anymore? Do they have a connection? Is the old adage that crypto is a hedge against inflation untrue? We will explore the answers to these questions in this article.
Understanding Inflation
When a currency depreciates over time, inflation results, driving up consumer costs. The CPI-U (Customer Price Index for All Urban Customers) grew by 1% in May, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Financial researchers have long believed that cryptocurrencies are impervious to inflation since their value grows over time. This made cryptocurrencies a well-liked store of value. Investors, however, believe otherwise given the recent collapse in the cryptocurrency market. Inflation has cost tech behemoths like Microstrategy and Tesla billions in the last several months. Additionally, Tesla recently sold out 75% of its Bitcoin holdings.
Understanding crypto mining
Adding legitimate blocks to a blockchain is known as cryptocurrency mining. It consists of a number of computers working together to solve an equation that offers rewards in the form of cryptocurrencies. When a block is successfully validated, this is only successful. Following this validation process frequently are the cryptocurrencies Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, and Litecoin.
A cryptographic consensus process called Proof of Work (PoW) checks the accuracy of newly added blocks to a blockchain. PoW is used in cryptocurrency mining to create new tokens and verify transactions. This mechanism, to put it simply, is the fundamental algorithm that determines the parameters and level of difficulty for mining. It directs what the miners do.
To validate the blocks updated on the blockchain, mining entails solving challenging cryptographic hash puzzles. Miners generate cryptocurrency rewards using high-tech equipment, which are then distributed into circulation. A cryptocurrency will, however, probably undergo inflation the more it is mined.
Crypto Mining and Inflation: A Connection
Cryptocurrency prices are governed by supply and demand just like those of most other services and goods. As a result, the price of the asset is directly influenced by how profitable cryptocurrency mining is. If the price of the cryptocurrency doesn’t cover the cost of producing the token, no miner will sell it. The cost of electricity in each region, the concentration of hash power, and the quantity of Bitcoin ASICs chips in use are taken into account when determining the value of a mined token.
The stock market’s impact on inflation rates caused the cryptocurrency market to crash, which had an impact on the mining operations.
Conclusion
Crypto mining is affected by inflation, despite the fact that it is a widely used store of wealth. The recent market pattern is evidence that cryptocurrencies are no longer a safe haven during inflation. Increases in anticipated interest rates and declines in the traditional stock market are the main causes of this decline. Thus, this refutes one of the arguments made for cryptocurrencies: their ability to act as an inflation hedge, and is a sure indicator that there is a connection between the two.
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