China, Coal, Calamities and Cryptos

Abstract

The growth of cryptocurrency mining in China, still heavily reliant on coal as a fuel for electricity generation, raises natural questions on the inter-relatedness of coal and crypto prices and volatilities. We investigate this, and the safety and thus supply stability of domestic Chinese coal mining. We find strong evidence of increased bitcoin volatility in the period post-Chinese coal mining accidents, with limited effects on global coal prices. Global coal price interrelationships do not respond to Chinese mining disaster-induced volatility but do respond to the largest Bitcoin-related price movements.