APAC Bitcoin Mining Goes Green Despite China’s Underground Activity

Bitcoin mining is the backbone of the crypto economy, and the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region is emerging as a critical hub for its future. Abundant hydropower, natural gas reserves, and surplus electricity across the region present opportunities for green mining models, even as regulatory fragmentation and high electricity costs remain obstacles. From Bhutan’s renewable energy push to China’s underground mining, APAC is becoming a battleground where sustainability, innovation, and policy collide.

APAC at the Center of Bitcoin Mining Growth

Since China’s 2021 crackdown on crypto mining, global hashrate distribution has shifted significantly across the APAC region. Countries like Bhutan, Australia, Japan, South Korea, and the UAE have developed diverse strategies to leverage their energy resources for Bitcoin mining.

• Bhutan has emerged as a renewable mining hub, with Bitdeer expanding hydropower-based mining capacity to over 1,200MW in July 2025.

• Abu Dhabi has embraced immersion-cooled mining with flare gas integration, with Marathon Digital and Zero Two operating a 200MW site.

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• Australia’s Iris Energy reported 50 EH/s, showing that APAC miners are scaling alongside Western competitors.

For global investors, these developments put APAC miners at the heart of the debate over energy use, transparency, and access to capital.

China’s Persistent Underground Mining

Despite its 2021 ban, China continues to account for more than 21% of global Bitcoin hashrate, according to the Cambridge Digital Mining Industry Report 2025.

This persistence is largely driven by:

• Seasonal hydropower mining in Sichuan.

• Small-scale dispersed farms that avoid detection.

• Utilities quietly selling surplus electricity to miners.

While Beijing officially prohibits mining, its quiet tolerance of a “shadow industry” adds significant opacity to global assessments. For regulators and investors, this lack of transparency creates risks around hashrate concentration and market reliability.

Japan and South Korea’s Divergent Paths

In Japan, high electricity costs limit domestic mining farms. However, Japanese firms like SBI Crypto and GMO are actively mining overseas in renewable-powered sites. Domestically, SoftBank has built a 300MW data center in Hokkaido that overlaps AI infrastructure with mining-scale energy demand.

Japan’s PTS has also signed multi-year agreements to supply telecom-grade hashrate, showing steady enterprise demand.

Meanwhile, South Korea is rethinking Bitcoin mining as part of its power system integration. A May 2025 study suggested that monetizing surplus electricity through mining could help KEPCO reduce debt while minimizing grid losses. If implemented, this approach could reframe mining as a grid-balancing tool instead of a strain on power resources.

Green Hash Strategies in Asia

Several APAC countries are branding their mining operations around sustainability:

• Bhutan leverages hydropower to position itself as an ESG-friendly mining hub, attracting institutional capital.

• Abu Dhabi uses flare gas and immersion cooling to mine efficiently in extreme climates.

• Australia combines renewable-powered mining with AI computing to diversify revenue and align with digital infrastructure growth.

These strategies show how APAC miners are innovating to stay competitive while addressing growing scrutiny over carbon footprints.

Institutional Demands and ESG Pressures

Institutional investors are increasingly demanding strong environmental, social, and governance (ESG) disclosure. US-listed miners already enjoy trust through SEC filings and liquidity, but APAC firms face fragmented regulatory environments and uneven reporting standards.

If APAC miners adopt transparent frameworks, they could attract more capital and potentially rival Western peers in terms of legitimacy and investor confidence.

Risks and Regional Challenges

Despite progress, APAC Bitcoin mining faces several challenges:

• Regulatory uncertainty: Rules differ widely between countries, complicating compliance.

• High electricity costs: Particularly in Japan and parts of South Korea.

• Underground activity in China: Opaque operations risk destabilizing global hashrate estimates.

• Capital access gaps: Limited disclosure frameworks hinder institutional investment.

Outlook: Toward East-West Parity

By 2026, APAC miners could achieve parity with Western competitors if they can combine three key factors:

1. Next-generation ASIC upgrades to boost efficiency.

2. Integration with renewable grids to lower carbon intensity.

3. Adoption of credible regional reporting standards to meet investor expectations.

As global pressure mounts for transparency and sustainability, APAC’s ability to deliver “green hash” solutions could reshape the Bitcoin mining landscape, balancing innovation with environmental responsibility.