With governments and institutions pushing for greener technologies, crypto developers have shifted their focus to creating more sustainable blockchains that are also more efficient and scalable. Proof of Work (PoW) cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin have been heavily criticized for consuming extremely large amounts of electricity, often drawn from fossil fuels.
As cryptocurrency went mainstream, eco-conscious users and investors alike have started to favor more sustainable blockchain projects over energy-hungry ones. In this article, we explore the best eco-friendly coins in 2025 and explain the importance of sustainable cryptocurrencies for the future.
Ethereum Solana Cardano Algorand Tezos Nano VeBetterDAO Regen Carbify Scotcoin Solarcoin Rowan Coin Brokoli Evadore Dovu [OLD] Biochar MFET
#
Coin
Price
24h %
Market Cap
Volume
24h Range
1
Ethereum
ETH
$1,764.33
-5.68%
$213,087,731,618
$26,806,927,295
2
Solana
SOL
$113.79
-10.23%
$58,496,267,203
$8,380,285,519
3
Cardano
ADA
$0.62
-8.94%
$22,430,213,378
$1,186,084,638
4
Algorand
ALGO
$0.17
-9.40%
$1,460,884,425
$113,249,281
5
Tezos
XTZ
$0.63
-2.93%
$656,756,046
$39,773,388
6
Nano
XNO
$0.81
-7.33%
$107,467,871
$8,332,830
7
VeBetterDAO
B3TR
$0.11
-16.55%
$21,703,018
$200,613
8
Regen
REGEN
$0.0305
-4.83%
$4,543,512
$5,012
9
Carbify
CBY
$0.24
0.33%
$2,394,429
$139,711
10
Scotcoin
SCOT
$0.43
-16.59%
$864,067
$24,297
11
Solarcoin
SLR
$0.0128
-5.54%
$827,204
-
12
Rowan Coin
RWN
$0.0039
-11.29%
$764,442
$78,879
13
Brokoli
BRKL
$0.0037
-0.02%
$196,900
$2,483
14
Evadore
EVA
$0.0461
-23.38%
$41,150
-
15
![Dovu [OLD]](https://insidebitcoins.com/wp-content/uploads/ib-crypto/icons/dovu.png){kind=icon}
Dovu [OLD]
DOV
$0.0460
-
$18,753
-
-
16
Biochar
CHAR
$143.41
-0.62%
-
$2,105
17
MFET
MFET
$0.0447
-
-
-
-
Top Gainers (24h)
Top Losers (24h)
Solana
SOL
Algorand
ALGO
Cardano
ADA
Nano
XNO
Ethereum
ETH
Top Eco-Friendly Coins in 2025
Let’s review the top 5 eco-friendly coins you can invest in today.
1. Ethereum (ETH)
Ethereum Price Chart
(ETH)Ever since Ethereum (ETH) transitioned from PoW to a Proof of Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism in 2022, it has been the largest eco-friendly cryptocurrency by market capitalization. According to the Crypto Carbon Ratings Institute (CCRI), Ethereum’s shift to its current PoS protocol reduced energy consumption by 99.992%.
Previously, the blockchain’s annualized electricity consumption was 20,000,000 MWh (megawatt-hours), dropping to just 4,957 MWh when it became PoS. This decrease in Ethereum’s electricity usage is comparable to reducing the energy consumption needed by a mid-sized country to the energy used by one neighborhood.
Additionally, the blockchain network’s shift to PoS increased transaction throughput and reduced network fees. The new consensus mechanism made Ethereum more scalable, enabling more users to join the foundational network in smart contract applications and decentralized finance (DeFi).
Since the transition, Ethereum’s price has risen by over 25% following the latest crypto bull cycle. Initially, the blockchain was supposed to implement sharding to help Ethereum scale even further. However, the widespread development of Layer-2 rollups has prompted Ethereum to drop sharding from its roadmap.
Find out more about Ethereum
2. VeBetterDAO (B3TR)
VeBetterDAO Price Chart
(B3TR)Launched in 2024, VebetterDAO (B3TR) is an environmentally focused blockchain project with token governance utility. It uses a redesigned PoS consensus model to lower electricity consumption while giving token holders voting rights on updates and fund management.
Built on the sustainable VeChainThor network, VebetterDAO emphasizes real-world energy savings and practical utility. The platform incentivizes eco-friendly activities by rewarding users with the B3TR utility token for accomplishing sustainable actions. Based on the official website, the project has reduced plastic waste by 23,000 kg, saved 2 million watt-hours of energy, and conserved 386,000 liters of water.
Based on the whitepaper, VeBetterDAO followed the fair launch principle, meaning the project did not hold a token presale, private allocations, or team reserves of B3TR tokens. Individuals can purchase B3TR tokens on the Bybit and Oceanex centralized exchanges (CEXs).
Since its launch, VebetterDAO’s valuation has skyrocketed by over 600%, with a current market cap of nearly $30 million at the time of writing. Early investors experienced almost 1,000% gains from B3TR purchases during all-time high prices, but the value has since corrected.
Find out more about VebetterDAO
3. Algorand (ALGO)
Algorand Price Chart
(ALGO)Algorand (ALGO) is another sustainable blockchain ecosystem developed to offer high performance without compromising energy efficiency. It operates on a Pure Proof of Stake (PPoS) consensus mechanism, giving all token holders a fair chance to participate in block validation.
According to the CCRI, Algorand consumes 2,512 MWh of electricity annually, making it one of the lowest-energy blockchains among the top 100 cryptocurrencies by market cap. Additionally, the Algorand mainnet has 7 times less annualized carbon emissions than Ethereum and 300,000 times less than Bitcoin in 2024.
Since 2021, the blockchain has been carbon-neutral, meaning carbon emissions from its operations have been offset by removing or reducing carbon emissions elsewhere. It does this by purchasing carbon credits on the ClimateTrade marketplace, and the donations were recorded transparently on the Algorand network.
Central to Algorand’s eco-friendly design is its PPoS consensus mechanism, which consumes less energy than conventional PoS models. While other PoS blockchains like Ethereum and Solana require validators to create several blocks to confirm a transaction, Algorand only requires a validator to generate one block for the same purpose.
Find out more about Algorand
4. Regen (REGEN)
Regen Price Chart
(REGEN)Regen (REGEN) is a community-centric PoS blockchain that powers the Regen Marketplace, a digital carbon and ecological credit market similar to ClimateTrade. The project is based on the Cosmos (ATOM) network but has been adapted for use in more eco-friendly endeavors.
REGEN, the Regen Network’s native governance token, offers on-chain governance and inflationary rewards for validators contributing to the blockchain’s security. Furthermore, users can stake or delegate REGEN tokens to join the platform’s community. Staking REGEN yields 10-30% APR (annual percentage returns), depending on market conditions.
Individuals can participate in the Regen Network by creating Regen crypto wallets and holding the native token. Additionally, REGEN holders can participate in network governance, allowing them to vote on community proposals, platform updates, and fund management.
Users looking to buy REGEN tokens can find the eco-friendly crypto on the Osmosis decentralized exchange (DEX), which offers REGEN for Osmosis (OSMO), USD Coin (USDC), and other tokens.
Find out more about Regen
5. Solana (SOL)
Solana Price Chart
(SOL)Solana (SOL) is a top cryptocurrency with a highly sustainable PoS and PoH (Proof of History) hybrid blockchain model. Its unique consensus mechanism reduces processing time and power compared to other PoS systems by allowing validators to confirm transactions without re-verifying entire blocks.
Based on the latest data from the CCRI, Solana consumed 17,214 MWh over the past year, which is still about 99.99% lower than Bitcoin and 99.98% lower than Dogecoin (DOGE). In fact, Solana’s electricity per transaction was just 0.00412 watt-hours in 2024.
Moreover, Solana continues to lessen its environmental impact every year. According to Solana’s 2024 Energy Use Report, the blockchain reduced its carbon footprint by 69% from 2023 to 2024. The network offsets its carbon emissions through carbon credits from EcoToken, which uses REGEN tokens for governance.
Because of Solana’s vast ecosystem of DeFi platforms, low transaction fees, and enhanced scalability, it’s one of the most popular blockchains for meme tokens. Some of the best Solana meme coins include Official Trump (TRUMP), Bonk (BONK), and Dogwifhat (WIF).
Find out more about Solana
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Why Does Crypto Need to be More Eco-Friendly?
Cryptocurrency’s widespread market adoption and rapid growth have created a $3 trillion digital economy led by the energy-intensive crypto Bitcoin. As a result, many institutions and analysts have voiced rising environmental concerns regarding blockchain technology.
While the conventional Proof of Work consensus model was an effective and secure program for network security, the process demands large amounts of electricity and computing power. This high energy consumption stems from the competitive nature of Bitcoin mining, where thousands of devices race to confirm the next block.
Only one miner is rewarded from the thousands of machines used to try to solve Bitcoin’s algorithm. All other participants wasted energy in their attempts to solve the block, resulting in significant overall electricity consumption. Bitcoin’s increasing price also influences the mining demand, resulting in even more competition and energy consumption.
Once awareness of Bitcoin’s extensive energy usage had grown, critics have argued whether that much electrical power was enough to justify its utility as a secure storage of value and method of financial transactions. Given that most of the energy used in mining comes from non-renewable sources like fossil fuels, many environmental groups and climate advocates began pointing out the problem.
In response to these challenges, many crypto developers and blockchain teams have begun prioritizing eco-friendly solutions. Newer blockchain technologies have turned to low-energy consensus mechanisms like Proof of Stake, reducing power consumption by over 99% compared to the traditional PoW system.
Reducing the environmental toll in the cryptocurrency industry isn’t just about technical advancements and minimizing costs. The shift towards more eco-friendly blockchain networks is essential for ecological sustainability, regulatory compliance, public trust, and investor confidence.
How Proof of Stake Changed the Game
The implementation of the PoS consensus mechanism marked a major turning point in blockchain technology. The sustainable network protocol reduced environmental costs significantly and paved the way for scalable blockchain ecosystems with faster transactions and lower gas fees.
Benefits of PoS
Proof of Stake offers several key advantages that make it a more sustainable and scalable alternative to Proof of Work. These benefits include:
- Elimination of competitive mining: On PoS chains, only one validator is chosen to confirm transactions. This is the biggest energy saver compared to PoW, where thousands of hardware computational units are wasted.
- More energy efficient: Because validators only need minimal hardware and computational resources to contribute to the network, the overall power required to run the blockchain significantly decreases.
- High scalability, low transaction speeds: PoS blockchains can inherently handle more transactions with faster confirmation times, making them more practical for smart contracts, payments, DeFi, and even high-speed trading.
- Reduced hardware requirements: PoS does not require increasingly powerful mining hardware, lowering the barrier to entry and supporting decentralization by enabling broader validator participation.
These benefits reflect how PoS has become the preferred consensus model for many modern blockchain projects. It offers a path towards sustainability while maintaining the security and decentralization required in a cryptographic ledger.
Variations and Innovations in PoS
While the standard Proof of Stake model introduced meaningful solutions to crypto’s scalability and environmental issues, several versions of the basic PoS system have been developed. They address more specific blockchain needs and showcase the PoS system’s flexibility in adapting to different use cases.
Let’s take a closer look at some of these PoS variations below:
- Pure Proof of Stake (PPoS): Implemented by Alogrand, PPoS selects validators more fairly than the standard PoS, which chooses them based on the number of tokens staked. This method reduces energy consumption, lowers centralization risks, and enhances network security.
- Liquid Proof of Stake (LPoS): Famously used by Tezos (XTZ), LPoS allows users to delegate their stake to validators while retaining ownership of their tokens. It makes it easier for more users to participate in network security and earn staking rewards.
- Proof of History (PoH) combined with PoS: As seen in Solana, PoH timestamps transactions before being validated through PoS. Combined with PoS, PoH allows the blockchain to make multiple transactions simultaneously through parallel processing.
Innovations in PoS showcase blockchain technology’s flexibility, meeting different projects’ needs while retaining the core functionalities. Additionally, it shows how networks can become more sustainable without sacrificing security and decentralization.
Alternative Eco-Friendly Consensus Mechanisms
Proof of Stake may have taken the spotlight in the push towards greener blockchain solutions, but other microcap crypto protocols have been developed that offer similar or even better energy efficiency.
One of these alternatives, Proof of Space and Time (PoST), uses unused hard drive space to secure the network instead of electrical power in a process called “farming.” Popularized by the Chia Network, PoST dramatically reduces energy consumption, but raises concerns regarding hardware demand and electronic waste.
Another PoS alternative is the Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) structure, which cryptocurrencies like IOTA (IOTA) use. Instead of relying on miners or validators, each new network transaction confirms one or more previous ones. As a result, DAG generates a web-like structure with rapid and low-energy transactions that make it optimal for use in IoT (Internet of Things) platforms.
How Can You Tell a Crypto Is Eco-Friendly?
Some blockchain projects might claim to be sustainable, despite their high energy costs and significant carbon emissions behind the scenes. Let’s discuss the measurable data that users can identify to evaluate better which projects are genuinely reducing their ecological footprints.
Energy Consumption Metrics
One of the first indicators of an eco-friendly crypto project is how efficiently it uses energy. In particular, looking at the transactions per second (TPS) against energy use or electrical power can provide a clearer picture of a sustainable blockchain.
Moreover, users can also compare a cryptocurrency’s annual energy consumption to see how much electricity the blockchain consumes in a year. Here’s a side-by-side comparison of these metrics among Bitcoin and the top eco-friendly tokens:
| Blockchain | Observed Transactions per Second (TPS) | Electrical Power (kilowatts) | Annual Energy Consumption (megawatt-hours) |
| Bitcoin (PoW) | ~7 TPS | 18,400,000 kW | 162,000,000 MWh |
| Ethereum (PoS) | ~15–30 TPS | 569.4 kW | 4,957 MWh |
| Algorand (PoS) | ~1,000 TPS | 290.7 kW | 2,512 MWh |
| Solana (PoS, PoH) | ~2,000 TPS | 1,993.8 kW | 17,214 MWh |
A blockchain that handles thousands of transactions using minimal electricity (like Algorand or Solana) is far more sustainable than one that consumes more energy to process fewer transactions (like Bitcoin).
Carbon Footprint Assessments
While energy consumption metrics show the amount of electricity required, understanding a blockchain’s carbon footprint involves measuring how that energy translates into carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Two separate networks could consume the same amount of power but have varying carbon footprints depending on how that power is sourced.
Analysts measure CO2 emissions by converting energy consumption into carbon output. This often depends on the ratio of energy sources based on the locations of a blockchain’s nodes. For instance, networks powered mainly by coal-based energy will have far higher carbon emissions than those operating in places that mainly use renewable energy like wind and solar.
Another way to asses a project’s committment to sustainability is identifying its carbon offset and neutrality initiatives. Some blockchains like Algorand and Solana partner with environmental organizations to fund reforestation projects or purchase carbon credits. These aim to offset the carbon emissions caused by the network’s operations through campaigns like tree planting that would lead to carbon absorption and elimination.
Integration With Renewable Energy
Crypto projects that directly or primarily use renewable energy resources help lower their carbon footprints and minimize reliance on fossil fuels. Here are some examples of sustainable energy sources that could be used to support blockchain networks:
- Solar-powered mining: Solar farms help reduce dependence on grid electricity and cut mining-related emissions, especially in regions with high sunlight exposure.
- Hydropowered mining: Hydropower facilities provide a clean and consistent power source that is highly renewable and low in emissions. According to the National Hydropower Association, they have a small footprint and minimal impact on local communities.
Emerging Eco-Friendly Blockchain Trends
Growing environmental awareness continues to influence the blockchain industry, with developers exploring new ways to reduce energy consumption while maintaining performance and security.
Ongoing innovations beyond PoS systems are still in experimental phases, with protocols like the PoST consensus and DAG structures being implemented in controlled environments. Developers are also trying to optimize the underlying code in blockchain systems through artificial intelligence (AI) to reduce processing demands and cut down on-chain power usage.
Some of the newest blockchain technologies are part of a more significant shift within the industry toward long-term sustainability. More projects are built with energy efficiency as a core feature, rather than a byproduct of the development process.
Furthermore, governments and regulators are becoming more active in shaping crypto’s eco-friendly future. For example, the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) is starting to require detailed information about cryptocurrencies’ environmental impacts.
With these market and regulatory trends, sustainability in cryptocurrencies is becoming less optional and will soon become an essential competitive aspect for new and existing blockchain projects.
Eco-Friendly Coins FAQs
What makes a cryptocurrency eco-friendly?
Eco-friendly cryptocurrencies use energy-efficient consensus mechanisms like Proof of Stake (PoS) and might integrate some form of renewable energy or carbon footprint offsetting to minimize their environmental impact.
Why is Bitcoin considered environmentally unfriendly?
Bitcoin uses the Proof of Work (PoW) consensus mechanism, which requires significant amounts of electricity and computing power, often sourced from non-renewable resources like fossil fuels. As a result, Bitcoin mining has a high carbon footprint.
How do Proof of Stake cryptocurrencies reduce energy consumption?
In Proof of Stake crypto, the blockchain algorithm randomly selects a validator based on the number of staked tokens instead of having all validators mine, as in the case of Proof of Work. This reduces PoS energy consumption by over 99% versus PoW.
Are eco-friendly cryptocurrencies as secure as traditional ones?
With proper blockchain design, Proof of Stake blockchains can offer similar security levels as Proof of Work networks while retaining low energy use.
Can I mine eco-friendly cryptocurrencies?
Most eco-friendly tokens use staking, not mining. Instead of mining, users can participate and contribute to the network by locking their tokens to help validate transactions.
Do eco-friendly cryptos have lower transaction fees?
Generally, eco-friendly Proof of Stake blockchains have lower gas fees than Proof of Work networks due to the former’s highly scalable and efficient designs.
How can I make sure that a cryptocurrency is truly eco-friendly?
Tools like the Crypto Carbon Ratings Institute (CCRI) can help individuals find sustainability data on cryptocurrencies and blockchains. Third-party audits and separate energy consumption reports that the blockchain may provide can also provide additional eco-friendly information.
References
- CCRI Indices (CCRI)
- VeChain – The VeChainThor Blockchain (VeChain)
- Algorand & sustainability | Algorand (Algorand)
- Offset Carbon Footprint – ClimateTrade™ (ClimateTrade)
- $REGEN Token (Regen Network)
- How the Solana Ecosystem is Offsetting Its Energy Impact: September 2024 (Solana)
- Crypto market cap 2010-2025 (Statista)
- Why Hydropower Owners Need to Talk with Bitcoin Miners – National Hydropower Association (NHA)
- Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) (MiCA)
