Bitcoin miners use hashpower not only to find the next block but to secure the entire chain to that point. So each block secures over 650 million transactions r

Bitcoin miners use hashpower not only to find the next block but to secure the entire chain to that point. So each block secures over 650 million transactions right now, and that number only increases. Your word "waste" implies a value judgement, and thus you have departed the realm of scientific inquiry. The transactions-per-second energy argument is completely fallacious and often made in bad faith. It makes no sense whatsoever. Comparing Bitcoin (a settlement system) to some other credit-based payment system is not a genuine comparison. Ignoring the Lightning Network in any discussion of Bitcoin shows a distinct lack of subject-matter awareness. If you dig into the power grid system today, you'll find that a huge amount of power generated by the world's energy producers goes unused. The Bitcoin network uses far less energy than the amount lost during normal generation, yet I see no hand-wringing about this colossal "waste" boiling the oceans.