Benjamin Schiller

Ben Schiller is a senior adviser at Miden, a privacy-focused blockchain. He was a CoinDesk managing editor from 2019 to 2025, and, before that, a staff writer at Fast Company.

Benjamin Schiller

Latest from Benjamin Schiller


Markets

Public Mining Companies Offer Better-Than-Bitcoin Price Exposure in 2023

Core Scientific (CORZ), Riot Blockchain (RIOT), Bitfarms (BITF), Iris Energy (IREN) and CleanSpark (CLSK) have performed better than BTC this year, as this chart shows.

Bitmain Antminer S19 Hydro mining rigs, the company's latest technology, installed at a Merkle Standard facility in Washington state. (Eliza Gkritsi/CoinDesk)

Consensus Magazine

Bitcoin Mining Machine Efficiency Doubled in Five Years

A recent report by Coin Metrics has news for fans of energy efficiency: ASIC miners overall are reducing their energy consumption per coin produced. But which are the most efficient? For Mining Week, CoinDesk dug deeper to determine which of 11 popular mining machines were the most competitive.

(Arek Socha/Pixabay)

Opinion

It’s Time for Miners to Stop With the Gimmicks

Publicly-traded miners are prone to pursue marketing stunts as a way to raise their stock prices. Press releases about AI and HPC initiatives are the latest examples. This op-ed is part of CoinDesk's Mining Week.

Mining rig (Getty Images)

Consensus Magazine

How Bitcoin Miners Can Stay Clear of SEC Scrutiny (and Fall Foul of It)

Regulators view Bitcoin and other proof-of-work cryptocurrencies as commodities. But mining firms can still trip over securities regulations if they’re not careful. This story is part of CoinDesk's Mining Week.

SEC Chair Gary Gensler at a U.S. Treasury council hearing in October 2022 (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

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Consensus Magazine

Riot Platforms at the Heart of Texas' Debate Over Bitcoin Mining’s Effect on the Grid

The world’s biggest bitcoin mine has drawn the ire of some local residents concerned with Bitcoin's community impact.

A close-up of one of Riot's mining rigs. (Riot Blockchain)

Opinion

Bitcoin Is on the Ballot in 2024

A series of bitcoin-related statements and policy announcements show how politicians are paying greater attention to crypto this campaign season. Crypto-skeptics, in particular, should pay attention lest they come across as anti-innovation. This story is part of CoinDesk's Mining Week 2023.

Bitmain Antminer mining rigs (Christie Harkin/CoinDesk)

Consensus Magazine

Ghost From the Well: Is Crypto Mining With Associated Gas Better for the Environment?

Oil and gas companies are keen to use gas that would normally be flared off to run bitcoin mining operations. But environmentalists claim the practice merely perpetuates the use of fossil fuels.

Gas flaring / Getty Images

Consensus Magazine

The Untold Story of Worldcoin’s Launch: Inside the Orb

Is Sam Altman’s UBI startup a smart countermeasure to AI, or a privacy nightmare? Jeff Wilser reports.

AuthorJeff Wilser stares into the Orb. (Jeff Wilser/CoinDesk)

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Consensus Magazine

Through It All, the Bitcoin Mining Industry Looks Set for Growth

Though the Bitcoin halving will reduce rewards for miners, the prospects for the industry remain bright and innovations like Ordinals promise more demand for miner services in the future.

(Sandali Handagama)

Consensus Magazine

How Miners Are Preparing for the Next Bitcoin Halving

Bitcoin’s fourth “halving” next April poses miners with strategic questions around equipment, energy use and diversification.

(James MacDonald/Getty Images)