the noise you can't hear

a norwegian town finally got exactly what it wanted. for years, the residents of hadsel complained about the local bitcoin mining facility. they hated the fans, the constant hum, and that relentless noise that felt like a saw running 24/7. they lobbied their local government, they protested, and last month the municipality finally refused to renew the permit. the miners packed up, the machines went silent, and the people celebrated their victory in the streets.

but then the next month's electricity bills arrived. and the celebration stopped.

suddenly, households were looking at bills that were 20% higher—about $300 more per year for the average family. it turns out that mining firm wasn't just a noisy neighbor; they were the power company's largest customer, accounting for 20% of their total revenue. when that customer disappeared overnight, the cost of maintaining the entire grid didn't vanish with them. it just got redistributed. the neighbors who fought to kick the miners out were now the ones picking up the tab for the infrastructure.

this is the perfect example of what was invisible before the "victory." the miners were acting as a massive sponge, absorbing surplus hydropower during periods of low demand. they prevented wasted water and provided a steady floor of revenue that kept everyone else's rates low. the annoyance of the noise was very real, but so was the massive economic benefit that stabilized the entire community. nobody noticed the benefit until it was gone.

we often make the mistake of only seeing the costs of things. we work hard to eliminate the friction and quiet the things that bother us, then we act surprised when the systems we rely on start to break. with bitcoin, the energy use and the network signals are highly visible. the noise is proof that the system is actually working. it is the sound of value being secured and a grid being balanced in real-time.

the question you have to ask yourself isn't whether your work or your ideas are making noise. if you are doing anything of substance, you are going to ruffle feathers. the real question is whether that noise is proof that you are doing something that actually matters. are you building a foundation that others rely on, even if they don't realize it yet? don't be afraid of the hum. be afraid of the silence that follows when the value disappears.