The new dynamic in the litecoin market offers a lesson in the emerging economics of the fast-growing cryptocurrency and blockchain industry, which relies on networks of computers to confirm and record transactions, using a combination of incentives. Key inputs include the speed and efficiency of the data-mining computers, local electricity costs and even the ambient temperature; cold climes are considered ideal because less power is needed to run cooling fans for the computers, which typically run 24 hours a day, seven days a week – that is, when it’s profitable to do so.
This article was originally published by Coindesk.com. Read the original article here.
