采矿比特币并向当地社区提供电力

开采流行的加密货币“比特币”正在为赞比亚的当地社区产生收入并提供电力。

In the heart of Zambia, where the Zambezi River roars through a verdant landscape, an unusual partnership is unfolding. A small hydroelectric plant, struggling to keep up with operating costs, has teamed up with a Kenya-based company, Gridless, to introduce an innovative solution: mining Bitcoin.

在赞比亚的心脏地带，扎姆比齐河通过翠绿的景观咆哮着，不寻常的伙伴关系正在发展。一家小型水力发电厂努力努力跟上运营成本，与一家基于肯尼亚的公司Gridless合作，引入了创新的解决方案：采矿比特币。

The potential of this partnership is vast, not just for the parties involved but also for the local community, which will benefit from a stable supply of electricity despite the departure of the Bitcoin miners.

这种合作伙伴关系的潜力是巨大的，不仅对涉及的各方，而且对于当地社区而言，尽管比特币矿工离开了，这将受益于稳定的电力供应。

The humming of the Zambezi fills the air as millions of liters of water cascade over rocks and vanish into the ravines. But in the shadow of the Zambian bush, another sound vibrates through the trees – the quiet murmur of Bitcoin mining.

Zambezi的嗡嗡声充满了空气，因为数百万升水岩石上的水层流并消失在沟渠中。但是在赞比亚灌木丛的阴影下，另一种声音通过树木振动 - 比特币采矿的安静杂音。

"Now, this is the sound of money!" exclaims Phillip Walton with a smile, as he gazes at a shipping container housing 120 computers. These devices are diligently processing massive amounts of information through intricate calculations, ultimately verifying the generation of Bitcoin.

“现在，这是金钱的声音！”菲利普·沃尔顿（Phillip Walton）笑着凝视着120台计算机的运输集装箱。这些设备通过复杂的计算来认真地处理大量信息，最终验证了比特币的产生。

In return for their efforts, the machines are automatically credited with Bitcoin from the network.

作为他们的努力，这些机器会自动从网络中归功于比特币。

We are in the far northwestern part of Zambia, close to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. Of all the Bitcoin mines I've visited, this one is perhaps the strangest. Electronics and water contraptions don't usually go together, yet it's the proximity of the river that entices the Bitcoins here.

我们位于赞比亚的西北部，靠近刚果民主共和国的边界。在我参观过的所有比特币矿中，这也许是最奇怪的。电子和水的置换通常不会融合在一起，但是诱使这里的比特币的距离是河流的接近。

Philip's mine is directly connected to a hydroelectric plant that channels a portion of the Zambezi's flow through large turbines, continuously generating clean electricity.

菲利普的矿山直接连接到一家水力发电厂，该水力发电厂通过大型涡轮机通道一部分Zambezi流动，连续产生干净的电力。

And what's crucial for Bitcoin mining – it's cheap.

对于比特币采矿至关重要 - 这很便宜。

So cheap that it made perfect economic sense for Philip's company to transport a container filled with delicate Bitcoin mining computers along narrow, potholed roads, 14 hours from the nearest town, to set up shop.

如此便宜，以至于对菲利普的公司来说，运输一个装满精美的比特币采矿计算机的容器沿着狭窄的坑洼道路（从最近的城镇14小时）运输到建立商店，这是完美的经济意义。

Each machine generates about $5 per day, or more if the price of coins is high, and less if it decreases.

每台机器每天产生约5美元，如果硬币的价格很高，则会产生更高的价格，如果降低的话，则会产生更少的价格。

Every so often, Philip checks his smartwatch – the main screen displays the fluctuating line of the dollar value of Bitcoin.

菲利普（Philip）经常检查他的智能手表 - 主屏幕显示比特币价值的波动线。

Currently, a single Bitcoin coin is worth about $83, but Philip mentions that they can still profit even if the price of Bitcoin falls, thanks to the low energy costs in this country and the partnership with the energy company.

目前，一枚比特币硬币的价值约为83美元，但菲利普提到，即使比特币的价格下跌，由于该国的低能成本以及与能源公司的合作伙伴关系，他们仍然可以利润。

"We realized that to have better economics in mining Bitcoin we had to cooperate with the energy company here and give them a share of the revenue. The reason we are willing to come all the way here, in such a remote place, is because it allows us to provide cheaper energy," he explains.

他解释说：“我们意识到，要在采矿比特币方面拥有更好的经济学，我们必须与这里的能源公司合作，并给他们一部分收入。我们愿意在如此偏僻的地方一路来到这里的原因是因为它允许我们提供更便宜的能源。”

The Zengamina hydroelectric plant is large, but technically it's a mini-grid – an autonomous island of energy for the surrounding community.

Zengamina水力发电厂很大，但从技术上讲，它是一个微型植物 - 周围社区的自主能量岛。

It was built in the early 2000s thanks to $3 million raised from charitable donations. British-Zambian Daniel Rea manages the plant after his missionary family spearheaded the construction project, primarily to supply power to the local hospital.

由于慈善捐款筹集了300万美元，它建于2000年代初期。不列颠桑比亚的丹尼尔·雷（Daniel Rea）在他的宣教家族率领建筑项目后，主要是为当地医院供电。

The plant provides electricity to about 15,000 people in the vicinity, but the project couldn't cover its costs due to slow adoption by the community.

该工厂为附近约15,000人提供电力，但由于社区采用缓慢，该项目无法支付其成本。

Permitting Bitcoin mining has helped their operations and brought a visible transformation to the enterprise.

允许比特币采矿为他们的运营提供了帮助，并为企业带来了可见的转变。

"Every day we were losing more than half of the energy we could produce, which meant we weren't making enough to cover our operating costs. We needed a large energy consumer in the area, and that's where the incredible partnership with Gridless came into play," says Daniel.

丹尼尔说：“每天我们都会损失一半以上的能量，这意味着我们不足以支付我们的运营成本。我们需要该地区的大型能源消费者，这就是与Gridless的令人难以置信的合作伙伴关系开始的地方。”

Bitcoin mining now covers about 30% of the hydroelectric plant's revenue, allowing them to keep prices low for the local population.

现在，比特币开采占水力发电工厂收入的约30％，使他们能够使当地人口的价格降低。

The concepts of Bitcoin and its economy are not part of the daily thoughts of the residents of Zengamina.

比特币及其经济的概念并不是Zengamina居民日常思想的一部分。

The town, a few kilometers from the hydroelectric plant, is composed of a few dozen small buildings clustered around an intersection with no name.

该镇距离水力发电厂几公里，由几十个小建筑物组成，该建筑物在一个没有名字的交叉路口周围聚集。

Only one store has a refrigerator, and groups of children gather around the shared computer, selecting songs to be played loudly, making the adults frown.

只有一家商店有冰箱，一群孩子聚集在共享计算机周围，选择要大声播放的歌曲，使成年人皱眉。

Although the hydroelectric plant was commissioned in 2007, it took several more years to connect it to the local city and then even more time to connect individual homes and businesses.

尽管水力发电工厂于2007年委托，但将其连接到当地城市花了几年的时间，然后将更多的时间连接到个人房屋和企业。

So some people, like barber Damian, are still enjoying the novelty of being connected to the electrical grid just a year and a half later.

因此，有些人，例如理发师达米安（Barber Damian），仍然享受一年半后与电网连接的新颖性。

"Before I had electricity, I had nothing and I couldn't do anything. When I got electricity, I bought everything at once," says Damian.

达米安说：“在电力之前，我什么都没有，我什么也没做。

And he's not exaggerating. In the evenings, his small barbershop transforms into a bright spot, with a TV playing music videos, festive lights strung everywhere, and the buzz of his clippers. Like butterflies drawn to light, young people swarm into his shop as if it were a youth center.

而且他没有夸张。在晚上，他的小理发店变成了一个亮点，电视播放音乐视频，到处都是节日灯以及他的快船的嗡嗡声。就像蝴蝶被灯光一样，年轻人涌入他的商店，就好像是一个青年中心一样。

"The energy supply has changed my life," he adds with a smile. "The income I

“能源供应改变了我的生活，”他微笑着补充道。 “收入i