Cameron Winklevoss, co-founder of the Gemini crypto exchange, floated an unconventional idea for sustainable Bitcoin BTC/USD mining on Monday, which is to route electricity from piezoelectric floor tiles into the network.
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Cameron Winklevoss Thinks Footsteps Could Power Bitcoin Mining
“This energy should be converted into Bitcoin mining. Every step helps audit and secure the blockchain. And eventually one step will win the block reward,” he wrote on X.
He argued that turning footsteps into hashes would, in theory, help validate transactions and secure the network. The Bitcoin protocol pays miners a block reward for successfully adding new blocks to the chain under its proof-of-work system.
Can Piezoelectric Floors Practically Power Bitcoin Mining Efforts?
Winklevoss shared a video highlighting piezoelectric sidewalks in Tokyo that capture tiny amounts of power from foot traffic. Pilot projects dating back to Japan’s Shibuya Station in 2008 show the output per step is small, on the order of a fraction of a watt per stride and best suited to low-power displays or lighting. Commercial suppliers likewise say a single step yields only a few joules, “enough to power a 5W bulb for one second.”
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That scale prompted pushback in Winklevoss’s replies. Some users noted such floors generally produce too little electricity to do more than supplement local lighting. Others argued “the energy used to produce and maintain this floor can’t even pay for itself,” urging, “ditch the waste and just mine Bitcoin directly.”
According to a 2016 report by Wired, energy-harvesting vendors and early case studies reinforce the skepticism, describing the tech as educational or symbolic rather than grid-scale.
The Wider Debate Over Bitcoin Mining Energy Efficiency
Winklevoss has previously claimed Bitcoin mining can accelerate clean power, and as per Bloomberg data, Gemini has bought carbon credits to offset its footprint.
Industry efforts he’s praised or that miners cite include pairing rigs with excess solar, wind and hydro energy; tapping stranded natural gas that would otherwise be flared and exploring nuclear-backed power or grid-balancing roles. Recent examples range from Blockstream and Block Inc.’s XYZ solar-battery mining pilot in 2022 to Marathon Digital Holdings Inc.’s MARA more recent use of shale gas, according to Reuters.
Trump Megadonor
The Winklevoss twins have emerged as major financial backers of Trump and Republican groups during the 2024–2025 cycle. In January 2025, Cameron Winklevoss gave nearly $500,000 to Trump’s MAGA Inc. PAC, while his brother Tyler contributed more than $515,000. Both brothers also chipped in $132,900 apiece to the Republican National Committee.
Price Action: At the time of writing, BTC was exchanging hands at $115,503.50, down 1.70% in the last 24 hours, according to data from Benzinga Pro.
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