UCL
University College London (UCL), a top-10 globally ranked university, has published a significant new research paper on the varying environmental impacts of different distributed ledger technologies (DLT). The paper examined the energy consumption of second-generation consensus models such as Proof-of-Stake, which promise to provide more favourable energy consumption characteristics than their Proof-of-Work predecessors. Researcher’s at UCL’s Centre for Blockchain Technologies (UCL CBT) quantified and compared the energy demands of six second-generation systems: Algorand, Cardano, Ethereum 2.0, Hedera Hashgraph, Polkadot, and Tezos. The full paper can be found here .
The research paper found that Hedera Hashgraph had the lowest overall energy consumption of the systems studied. Dr. Paolo Tasca, Executive Director at UCL CBT, said: “At this point, the benefits of Proof-of-Stake are well-recognised and understood in the blockchain space. However, through this research we have found that not all Proof-of-Stake networks are created equally. This is something that both investors and adopters need to be wary of when selecting their network of choice. While it’s fantastic to see that Ethereum 2.0 will be Proof-of-Stake, looking at these results it’s clear that we need to remain vigilant of its potential environmental impact.”
The research was conducted by UCL CBT by formalizing a basic mathematical consumption model for validator-based Sybil attack resistance schemes. This model allows quantifying the energy consumption per transaction based on common input variables, such as the number of validators and the throughput characteristics of the system analysed.
Ultimately, the study found that the energy needs of the varying consensus protocols was dependent on the number of active validators. The UCL researchers warned that distributed ledger technology (DLT) networks need to be wary of the effect of different design choices in their architecture over energy consumption, as well as of the quality of the hardware used by the node operators. The research concluded that DLT networks must remain focused on environmental friendliness as scale increases.
Dr. Tasca concluded: “The findings of this study are a fantastic starting point for improving existing DLT design options, as well as developing new consensus protocols while keeping sustainability front of mind. We found that, through applying contemporary throughput and validator counts, Hedera Hashgraph has the most favourable energy consumption characteristics.”
For more information, download the full report at: http://blockchain.cs.ucl.ac.uk/blockchain-energy-consumption/
About University College London
Founded in 1826 in the heart of London, UCL is London's leading multidisciplinary university, with more than 13,000 staff and 42,000 students from 150 different countries. Ranked 8th in the world by QS World University Rankings in 2022, University College London is amongst the best universities in the world. It was the first university in England to welcome students of any religion and the first to welcome women on equal terms with men. UCL's founding principles of academic excellence and research aimed at addressing real-world problems continue to inform its ethos to this day through focusing its research endeavours on the Grand Challenges of Global Health, Sustainable Cities, Cultural Understanding, Human Wellbeing, Transformative Technology, and Justice & Equality. UCL’s dedication to world-class research, education and innovation is recognised through its globally recognised ranking. In the most recent Research Excellence Framework, UCL was the top-rated university in the UK for research strength.
About the UCL Centre for Blockchain Technologies (UCL CBT)
UCL CBT is the world’s largest research centre on blockchain technologies by number of associates. Founded in 2015 by Prof. Paolo Tasca and Prof. Tomaso Aste, its mission is to research the effects of Distributed Ledger Technologies and Blockchain into our socio-economic systems and to promote the safe and organic development and adoption of Blockchain-based platforms.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210908005169/en/
Social Media:
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Andersen Consulting indgår samarbejde med Africa International Advisors22.1.2026 22:10:00 CET | Pressemeddelelse
Andersen Consulting udbygger sine kompetencer inden for strategi og forretningstransformation i Afrika gennem en samarbejdsaftale med Africa International Advisors (AIA), en Johannesburg-baseret virksomhed, der fokuserer på at forbedre virksomheders konkurrenceevne gennem sektorspecifik indsigt, innovation og rådgivning. AIA blev stiftet i 2002 og er et panafrikansk managementkonsulentfirma, der leverer strategibaserede rådgivningsydelser med fokus på digital transformation og ai-drevne forretningsresultater. Firmaet rådgiver kunder på tværs af sektorer, herunder energi og ressourcer, olie og gas, infrastruktur, handel og logistik, finansielle tjenesteydelser, bankvæsen og telekommunikation. AIA's strategiske perspektiv, lokale troværdighed og markedsadgang gør det muligt at udvikle og implementere løsninger, der samkører mennesker, processer og teknologi med henblik på at skabe meningsfuld forandring. "Vores mission har fra begyndelsen været at fremme udviklingen gennem en Afrika-cent
iQmetrix Announces First-Ever "Telecom Retail Summit" at MWC Barcelona 202622.1.2026 19:48:00 CET | Press release
Leading software provider challenges the industry on the growing disconnect between telecom innovation and the store experience. iQmetrix, the only global provider of Interconnected Commerce solutions for telecom retail, today announced its return to Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona with the first-ever Telecom Retail Summit. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260122446809/en/ As the industry converges for MWC Barcelona 2026, iQmetrix prepares to host the first-ever Telecom Retail Summit, transforming the conversation from network intelligence to the intelligent storefront. The exclusive half-day summit designed to spark an overdue conversation: telecom sells the most advanced technology on earth, yet delivers one of the least inspiring retail experiences in modern commerce. Bringing together telecom industry leaders, futurists, and retail innovators, the Telecom Retail Summit challenges the industry to rethi
SPIE Announces the Best New Products in the Photonics Industry at Its 18th Annual Prism Awards22.1.2026 17:44:00 CET | Press release
The industry-focused awards recognized innovations in areas such as lasers, quantum tech, sensors, optical materials and components, and XR tech On 21 January, SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, recognized the top-rated new optics and photonics products with the industry-focused Prism Awards. The gala evening, held during SPIE Photonics West, marked the Prism Awards’ 18th year of honoring companies that are bringing transformative products to market. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260122875759/en/ Each year, the SPIE Prism Awards reflect the rapidly growing trajectory, exciting latest developments, and rich technical innovations across photonics and photonics-enabled industries. Each year, the SPIE Prism Awards reflect the rapidly growing trajectory, exciting latest developments, and rich technical innovations across photonics and photonics-enabled industries. This year, the annual cere
Fabasoft Positioned as a Challenger in the 2026 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Quality Management System Software22.1.2026 17:15:00 CET | Press release
Analyst firm publishes overview of providers of quality management software Fabasoft, a leading European cloud vendor for document and business process management, has been positioned as a Challenger with its Fabasoft Approve product by Gartner® in its first Magic Quadrant™ 2026 for Quality Management System Software. In the report, the analyst firm recognizes the company’s strengths and cautions. “Gartner defines the market for quality management system (QMS/eQMS) software as stand-alone digital solutions with embedded emerging technological capabilities that enable organizations to systematically manage, monitor and improve the quality of their products, processes and services.” In its independent report, the IT analyst firm evaluated 12 different vendors based on 15 weighted criteria. “We are delighted that Gartner has positioned our QMS as a Challenger. We see this as confirmation of our strategic direction and our technological innovations, particularly in the field of AI. At the
ClickHouse Announces Native Postgres Service, Offering a Unified Data Stack for Real-Time and AI-Driven Applications22.1.2026 17:00:00 CET | Press release
ClickHouse, Inc., the company behind the world’s fastest real-time analytical database, announced a high-performance, enterprise-grade Postgres service natively integrated with ClickHouse, delivering a unified data stack for developers building modern, real-time and AI-driven applications. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260122173204/en/ ClickHouse Co-Founders (left to right): Yury Izrailevsky, Aaron Katz, Alexey Milovidov The service is built in partnership with Ubicloud, Inc., an open-source cloud company delivering high-performance Postgres, led by a team with proven track record at Citus Data, Heroku, and Microsoft. This launch reinforces ClickHouse’s commitment to unifying transactional and analytical workloads on a single, scalable foundation. This announcement also builds on ClickHouse’s acquisition of PeerDB Inc. in 2024, a Postgres company whose technology is helping power real-time data synchronizati
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom