UCL
8.9.2021 10:03:32 CEST | Business Wire | Press release
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
Al Barari Breaks Ground on The Cape, The Final Chapter of a Legacy6.2.2026 15:46:00 CET | Press release
Al Barari, Dubai’s pioneering nature-led community, has officially marked the groundbreaking of The Cape, its final signature residential development, celebrating two decades of visionary craftsmanship and a continued commitment to creating harmonious living environments rooted in nature. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260206475199/en/ Hazza Zaal, CEO of Al Barari Real Estate Group, alongside the Sales and Construction teams at The Cape Groundbreaking Ceremony, marking a milestone in Al Barari’s final signature development. (Photo: AETOSWire) The milestone ceremony signals the beginning of a landmark chapter for Al Barari, as The Cape represents the culmination of a 20-year legacy defined by intentional design, wellbeing-focused living, and immersive natural landscapes. Located within Dubai’s green heart, The Cape introduces an enriched lifestyle experience surrounded by lush botanical settings, gentle water
Andersen Consulting indgår samarbejdsaftale med Alfa Group6.2.2026 15:41:00 CET | Pressemeddelelse
Andersen Consulting styrker sit udbud inden for cybersikkerhed gennem samarbejdet med Alfa Group, der er en førende teknologivirksomhed med næsten tre årtiers erfaring i at hjælpe organisationer med at beskytte og optimere deres drift. Alfa Group blev grundlagt i 1996 og har hovedsæde i Rom. Virksomheden leverer avancerede løsninger inden for cybersikkerhed, registrering og forebyggelse af svindel, hændelseshåndtering og sårbarhedsstyring samt udvalgte ydelser inden for processtyring. Deres proprietære teknologi, N.O.V.A., er en fuldt integreret administreret tjeneste, der kombinerer Alfa Groups innovationer med tredjepartssystemer for at beskytte digitale infrastrukturer, reducere risici og øge den operationelle effektivitet. Virksomheden betjener kunder på tværs af brancher, herunder finans og forsikring, forsvar og rumfart, telekommunikation, fremstilling, energi og medicinalindustrien. "Vores samarbejde med Andersen Consulting giver os mulighed for at udvide vores rækkevidde og lev
Quantfury and Sandwich Launch Commercial Series to Encourage Better Choices in Retail Trading6.2.2026 15:00:00 CET | Press release
Quantfury Trading Americas Limited (“Quantfury”), a global brokerage offering commission-free trading at real-time spot prices from major exchanges, has partnered with Sandwich, a leading creative agency for tech and product videos, to produce a Social Responsibility Commercial Series. The series of commercials incorporates clear, engaging storytelling to prompt viewers to think about common retail trading behaviors—especially high-energy marketing, gamification of speculation, and heavy focus on potential gains without equal attention to risks—and to choose more thoughtful, informed approaches. Lev Mazur, Founder of Quantfury, said: “It’s a pleasure to work with Sandwich, whose visual storytelling is outstanding. Since day one, Quantfury has aimed to question and improve the standard practices in the global retail trading industry.” Adam Lisagor, Founder of Sandwich, added: “A good investment is a story. Quantfury stood out by wanting to tell a real, interesting story first—rather tha
JSS: 2025 Sake Exports Grew Steadily, Reaching a Record 81 Markets6.2.2026 04:00:00 CET | Press release
Sake exports continued to expand in 2025 in both value and volume, with export destinations reaching a record 81 countries and regions. Export value increased 6% year on year to 45.9 billion yen, while export volume rose 8% to 33.55 million liters (3.73 million cases on a 9-liter basis), marking the second-highest export performance on record. The average export unit price per 750 ml bottle declined 2% year on year to 1,026 yen. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260205671686/en/ Sake Export Performance by Country (Top 10, 2025) Export value has nearly doubled since 2020, and the CAGR over the past five years reached 14%. This underscores sake’s position as a high-growth category globally. Asia remained the largest export destination, with export value totaling 28.8 billion yen, representing an 8% increase year on year and accounting for 63% of total export value. North America recorded exports of 12.4 billion ye
Canva Brings On-Brand Designs Directly into AI Assistants6.2.2026 00:00:00 CET | Press release
Designs created in ChatGPT now come to life in Canva, instantly on brand and ready to use The future of work is being rewritten by AI, with professionals accomplishing in minutes what used to take hours. But there's been one persistent breaking point in AI assistants: generic visual outputs and off-brand colors that undermine AI speed with tedious manual cleanup. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260205384226/en/ Canva Today, that friction ends as Canva brings brand intelligence directly into the AI tools where modern day work happens most. Starting now, ChatGPT users can create designs completely tied to their Canva Brand Kit, making a company’s brand come to life visually and function as a living participant in AI workflows. This expansion marks the coming together of Canva and ChatGPT, two category-defining platforms, in a new way to make on-brand design more accessible and fluid. From client-ready pitch deck
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