The Bitcoin Mining Council made its formal debut Thursday amid a growing debate over the amount of energy used in cryptocurrencies. “The Bitcoin Mining Council is a voluntary and open forum of Bitcoin miners committed to the network and its core principles,” MicroStrategy Inc. Chief Executive Officer Michael Saylor, who helped to form the association, wrote on Twitter. He added, “Join us,” alongside a praying-hands emoji. Saylor, who has made acquiring Bitcoin a business strategy of the enterprise software maker, sought to quell concern about the energy usage after Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk cited it as a reason to ... (full story)