We’ve been referring here to “the blockchain” as if there’s only one, but in fact there are many blockchains. Early versions of blockchain were quite carbon-intensive because they created new ‘blocks’ via a validation process called ‘mining,’ which involved running lots of calculations on lots of computers. Because computers run on electricity, it required a lot of real-world carbon emissions to generate these digital records—counterproductive for a decarbonization company!

Many blockchains have switched from this ‘mining’ process (known as ‘proof of work’) to an alternate method called ‘proof of stake’ that uses a fraction of the energy. We at Carbon Title have chosen to work with XRPL and Celo as the foundation of our blockchain records precisely because they already run on this lower-carbon method of creating new blocks and in fact are carbon-neutral.

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