How Japan’s 4.5MW Bitcoin mining project could redefine ‘clean crypto’

Key takeaways

What is Japan doing with Bitcoin mining?

Japan’s state-linked utility has started mining Bitcoin using Canaan’s 4.5 MW Avalon rigs to balance renewable energy on its power grid.

Why does this matter globally?

It’s the first time a major developed nation has tied Bitcoin mining to national energy management.

A major Japanese utility (partly government-owned) has begun mining Bitcoin [BTC] using specialized Canaan machines plugged directly into its power grid.

The initiative aims to utilize surplus renewable energy during periods of low demand, preventing waste and helping stabilize the grid.

If this approach scales, Japan could become one of the few countries where the government plays a role in Bitcoin mining, not for ideological reasons, but to optimize energy usage.

Such a model could also position Japan as a pioneer in promoting ‘clean crypto’, where sustainable energy use becomes central to blockchain operations.

Canaan’s grid balancing bet in Japan

Canaan’s new 4.5 MW deployment in Japan marks a significant shift in integrating BTC mining operations with real-world energy infrastructure.

The company’s hydro-cooled Avalon machines will be used like an on-off buffer, powering down when grid demand spikes, and switching back on when there’s surplus renewable energy available.

Source: investor.canaan-creative.com

It’s a modest-sized setup, but the timing matters. Canaan just escaped a NASDAQ delisting and followed that with its largest miner order ever. Nangeng Zhang, chairman and CEO of Canaan, said,

“With our Avalon hydro-cooled servers equipped with a smart control chip and Bitcoin mining technology, utilities can leverage Bitcoin mining as a digital load balancer, improving both energy sustainability and grid efficiency.”

This partnership is Japan’s first government-linked project using Bitcoin mining to help manage the power grid.

A list of state-aligned miners

Building on that, this deal also settles a long-running industry rumor.

VanEck’s Mathew Sigel noted in an X (formerly Twitter) post, that traders have whispered for years about utilities like TEPCO mining BTC in the background.

Source: Mathew Sigel/X

However, there was never public confirmation.

With Canaan securing a 4.5 MW order from a major regional utility – one with partial government ownership – Japan now effectively steps into the same bucket as other state-linked mining jurisdictions.

This makes Japan the 11th country (outside the U.S.) where government-affiliated infrastructure is directly involved in Bitcoin mining.

Why this matters

When a developed, tightly regulated market like Japan treats Bitcoin mining as a legitimate grid-balancing instrument, it starts a conversation.

If a highly regulated energy market like Japan can justify Bitcoin mining as a flexible load asset, it shifts the narrative from viewing it as “energy waste” to recognizing it as an “energy buffer.”

That opens doors.

Other utilities – in Europe, in APAC, in fossil-heavy grids – now have a policy example to point to.