Some of the most popular decentralised cryptocurrency networks have drawn widespread criticism for consuming vast amounts of electricity and have thus become targets of regulatory interest. Attempts to influence cryptocurrency network operations via policy in the pursuit of sustainability in the past, however, have been widely unsuccessful. Some were abandoned out of fear of jeopardising innovation while others failed due to the highly globalised nature of decentralised systems. In search of a more effective angle for energy policy measures, this study follows a consumer-focused approach by analysing the sentiments of Nigerian cryptocurrency users (${N=158}$) regarding their perceptions of the sustainability of Bitcoin, an archetypal cryptocurrency with high electricity consumption. Three main findings emerged: 1) Despite self-reporting as highly knowledgeable, most participants significantly underestimated the energy demand of Bitcoin. 2) Those who accurately assessed the energy demand of Bitcoin were more likely to support measures targeting its energy demand than those who misestimated it. 3) Those who supported measures predominantly held private actors responsible. In light of these findings, we conclude that the primary task of policymakers in the context of cryptocurrency sustainability may be to improve consumer education.

翻译：一些最流行的去中心化加密货币网络因消耗大量电力而受到广泛批评，并因此成为监管关注的目标。然而，过去试图通过政策影响加密货币网络运营以实现可持续性的努力大多未能成功。部分政策因担心危及创新而被放弃，另一些则因去中心化系统的高度全球化特性而失败。为寻找更有效的能源政策切入点，本研究采用以消费者为中心的方法，分析了尼日利亚加密货币用户（样本量N=158）关于其对比特币（一种高耗电的典型加密货币）可持续性看法的调研数据。主要发现有三点：1）尽管参与者自认为知识渊博，但大多数人显著低估了比特币的能源需求；2）准确评估比特币能源需求的参与者比低估者更倾向于支持针对其能源需求的措施；3）支持措施的参与者主要将责任归于私营主体。基于这些发现，我们得出结论：在加密货币可持续性背景下，政策制定者的首要任务可能是加强消费者教育。