What is bitcoin mining?

It is the process in which new bitcoins are created, which is done by computers that solve complex mathematical problems that cannot be solved by hand, thus requiring large amounts of computational power and energy.

New bitcoins are introduced when miners process blocks of transactions, which occur every time someone sends or receives bitcoins.

Miners place the transactions in blocks and add them to a kind of public record known as a blockchain. When miners add new blocks to the blockchain, new bitcoins are created, but to add a new block, miners must mathematically validate the transactions to ensure they are correct and avoid duplication. As a result, miners create a more secure bitcoin network.

Likewise, before bitcoin came into effect as the second legal tender in the country, the President of the Republic, Nayib Bukele expressed that bitcoin mining in El Salvador will be "with very cheap energy, 100% clean, 100% renewable, 0 emissions from our volcanoes".

He also shared a video on his twitter account showing the installation of a container with dozens of Circuito Integrado Para Aplicaciones Específicas  (ASIC) equipment in the Berlin geothermal field, in the department of Usulután.