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Great summarization. Would this possibly lead to Bitcoin becoming a “Paperclip Optimizer”?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instrumental_convergence

Interesting thought, though it's not likely due to the fact that it requires humans to actually create the energy to give to it.

Bitcoin isn't physical, so it can't destroy our 3 dimensional reality with never ending desire for energy.

The only reason we want energy is to live better lives, but we're also getting better at using energy more efficiently. Things are getting cheaper and quality of life is getting better, all over the planet. It's doubtful that a future humanity that has an abundance of energy, and resources acquired with that energy, will go so far as to destroy itself for more Bitcoin.

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Nemo 1y ago

Destroying one’s self rarely takes the form one would expect.

2 Low-hanging fruit arguments:

As we increase the amount energy generated, we consume and convert that energy into new forms either intentionally (product) or unintentionally (waste).

Problems with product would look like the excess photons generated by all of the lights, cars, buildings, cities, etc slowly blotting out the night sky, choking the resource of wonder for the universe at large which historically led to most scientific and mathematical discoveries.

Problems with waste would look like all of the excess heat from all power generation or even just power consumption. Every watt turns to heat eventually. So unlimited, cheap energy just means unlimited, cheap heat. That has unknown consequences on a large scale.