Crypto Carbon Footprint List

The list below outlines how sustainable each of the top 100+ cryptocurrencies are, where True Green is the most sustainable and Brown is the least sustainable. The cryptos are ranked in order of how sustainable they are.

For ease of comparison, a VISA-transaction is equivalent to Medium Green, as it consumes approximately 0.003 kWh per transaction (0.4 grams of CO2e). The researchers do however acknowledge that many cryptocurrencies – contrary to VISA-transactions - function as value storage and is peer-to-peer rather than executed through multiple intermediaries.

The list has been developed by Cryptowisser.com in collaboration with a team lead by the Swedish sustainability expert Erik Florman, founder of Cleanblocks.com. Background information on cryptocurrency energy consumption, assumptions and qualifications for the report, and further details on how the data has been compiled and what metrics that constitute which grades etc., can be found at the bottom of this page. The aim is to update the below list on a monthly basis.

GMT

True Green

Carbon Neutral (Self‑reported)
Estimated Energy Usage

Hybrid Proof of Stake / Solana blockchain

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ALGO

True Green

Carbon Negative (Self‑reported)
Estimated Energy Usage

Pure Proof of Stake

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CELO

True Green

Carbon Negative (Self‑reported)
Estimated Carbon Footprint

Proof of Stake / Byzantine Fault Tolerance

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AVAX

True Green

Carbon Neutral (Self‑reported)
Estimated Carbon Footprint

Proof of Stake

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SAND

True Green

Carbon Negative (Self‑reported)
Estimated Carbon Footprint

Proof of Stake

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WAXP

True Green

Carbon Negative (Self‑reported)
Estimated Carbon Footprint

Delegated Proof of Stake

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EGLD

True Green

Carbon Negative (Self‑reported)
Estimated Carbon Footprint

Secure Proof of Stake

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IMX

True Green

Carbon Negative (Self‑reported)
Estimated Carbon Footprint

ZK-Rollup (Validity Based Proof)

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SOL

True Green

Carbon Neutral (Self‑reported)
Estimated Energy Usage

Hybrid Proof of Stake

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HBAR

True Green

Carbon Negative (Self‑reported)
Estimated Carbon Footprint

Hashgraph Consensus

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EOS

True Green

Carbon Negative (Self‑reported)
Estimated Carbon Footprint

Delegated Proof of Stake

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NEAR

True Green

Carbon Negative (Self‑reported)
Estimated Carbon Footprint

Thresholded Proof of Stake

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MATIC

True Green

Estimated Energy Usage

Proof of Stake

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ICP

Medium Green

Estimated Carbon Footprint

Internet Computer Protocol

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CSPR

Medium Green

Estimated Energy Usage

Proof of Stake Correct-by-Construction (CBC)

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XTZ

Medium Green

Estimated Carbon Footprint

Proof of Stake

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ARB

Medium Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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VET

Medium Green

Estimated Energy Usage

Proof of Authority 2.0

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FTM

Medium Green

Estimated Energy Usage

Fantom Opera

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XLM

Medium Green

Estimated Energy Usage

Stellar Consensus Protocol

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MIOTA

Medium Green

Estimated Energy Usage

Directed Acyclic Graphs

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HOT

Medium Green

Estimated Energy Usage

Distributed Hash Table

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XRP

Medium Green

Estimated Energy Usage

XRP Ledger Consensus Protocol

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APE

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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LEO

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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SHIB

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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OSMO

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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TON

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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ATOM

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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KLAY

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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BTCB

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Delegated Proof of Stake and Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance

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USDD

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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AAVE

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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OKB

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Delegated Proof of Stake

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SNX

Light Green

Estimated Energy Usage

Proof of Stake

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FTT

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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MINA

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake (Ouroboros Samasika)

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GLMR

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Nominated Proof of Stake Ouroboros (babe)

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LUNC

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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BIT

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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CVX

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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UNI

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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BUSD

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Staked Authority

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TUSD

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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LUNA

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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WBTC

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Authority

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BTT

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Delegated Proof of Stake / Tron

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AR

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Work

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ETH

Light Green

Estimated Energy Usage

Proof of Stake

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OP

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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OMG

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Authority

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HT

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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CHZ

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Authority

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KAVA

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake / Ethereum & Cosmos

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ONE

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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LDO

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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RUNE

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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PAXG

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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ANKR

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Service Level, Proof of Stake, Byzantine Fault Tolerance

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KSM

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Nominated Proof of Stake

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VGX

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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TFUEL

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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USDP

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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LPT

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Delegated Proof of Stake

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CRV

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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TWT

Light Green

Estimated Energy Usage

Proof of Staked Authority

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QNT

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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USDN

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Leased Proof of Stake / Waves blockchain

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IOTX

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Roll-Delegated Proof of Stake

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COMP

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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FIL

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Storage

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CAKE

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Staked Authority

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GUSD

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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AMP

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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ZIL

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of work (PoW) & Byzantine fault tolerance (pBFT)

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AXS

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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THETA

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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EXFI

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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LRC

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Ring Miners / Proof of Stake

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MANA

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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LINK

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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AUDIO

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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KCS

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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DYDX

Light Green

Estimated Energy Usage

Proof of Stake

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NEXO

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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CRO

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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FEI

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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FLOW

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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ROSE

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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MKR

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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GMX

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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DAI

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

POSDAO Proof of Stake

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AGIX

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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FXS

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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BAT

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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ENJ

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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WAVES

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Leased Proof of Stake

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APT

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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BONE

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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SSV

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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USDC

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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KDA

Light Green

Estimated Energy Usage

Proof of Work

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BNB

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Staked Authority

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1INCH

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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QTUM

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake

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SCRT

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake / Cosmos blockchain

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NEO

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Stake (Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance)

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DOGE

Light Green

Estimated Energy Usage

Proof of Work

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DOT

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Nominated Proof of Stake (Ouroboros)

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ADA

Light Green

Estimated Energy Usage

Proof of Stake (Ouroboros Praos Version)

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TRX

Light Green

Consensus Algorithm

Delegated Proof of Stake

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BSV

Beige

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Work

Get Coin

DASH

Beige

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Work

Get Coin

ZEN

Beige

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Work

Get Coin

RVN

Beige

Consensus Algorithm

KAWPOW (Proof of Work)

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XEC

Beige

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Work

Get Coin

SC

Beige

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Work

Get Coin

ZEC

Beige

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Work

Get Coin

ETC

Beige

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Work

Get Coin

XEM

Beige

Consensus Algorithm

Proof of Importance

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XMR

Beige

Estimated Energy Usage

Proof of Work

Get Coin

LTC

Beige

Estimated Energy Usage

Scrypt Proof of Work

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BCH

Beige

Estimated Energy Usage

SHA256-Based Proof-of-Work

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BTC

Brown

Estimated Energy Usage

Proof of Work

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USDT

N/A

Proof of Reserves

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STX

N/A

Proof of Transfer

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GRT

N/A

Proof of Indexing

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