Brooklyn bitcoin spa leaves crypto watchers hot and bothered

A bathhouse in Brooklyn has left users on Instagram and Twitter divided after it revealed that it is using bitcoin mining rigs to heat its spa.

Bathouse posted its heating method — not to be confused with bitcoin mining pools — to Instagram on Wednesday, describing in three steps how the excess heat from its mining rigs is being used to raise the temperature of its pools.

• Step 1: Mine Bitcoin. Mining uses electricity for computing power and generates heat as a byproduct.

• Step 2: Send the heat generated by the miners to heat exchangers and heat our pools.

• Step 3: Enjoy a hot pool while supporting the Bitcoin network. The pools absorb the heat and circulate cool liquid back to the miners. The process repeats forever.

Read more: Bitcoin mining in Niagara Falls goes ‘brrr’ in all the wrong ways

Users split on Bitcoin spa

Instagram users who follow the Bathhouse account weren’t all sold on the idea. Indeed, one user posted, “This could easily be a post by The Onion,” while another complained, “So cringe — delete please.”

Another user went further, claiming, “This makes me like Bathhouse less. Now I’m concerned about who is mining this cryptocurrency, who is profiting from it, and whether I support that. We’re gonna need some transparency.”

Some, on the other hand, reveled in the disdain users had for the mining-heated pools, while at least one seemed particularly happy with them, posting, “I for one think this is a great way to heat the pools and will check this place out because of this.”

Read more: Explained: Is Bitcoin good for the environment?

“Thank you for securing the network, helping resist authoritarianism, and bringing financial freedom to people while you heat your pools!” another said on Instagram.

Analysts from digital asset brokerage firm K55 have claimed that “repurposing waste heat from bitcoin mining lowers heating costs and reduces carbon emissions.” Whether this is the case for Bathhouse remains to be seen.