Tech trends often open up a world of possibilities, but also bring their own unique challenges. It’s easy to get lost in the optimism that accompanies those new possibilities, but it’s important to maintain a healthy dose of realism. New technologies are rarely perfect, as illustrated by the gigantic environmental impact that the cryptocurrency Bitcoin had (as a result of its mining mechanism). Through the (widely cited) Bitcoin Energy Consumption Index and peer-reviewed academic papers, Digiconomist contributed to revealing this specific issue.