"Shitcoin" may no longer be solely a term used to draw altcoin projects with questionable value propositions, as i Due south Korean university professor has taken the term to a more than literal dimension.

Cho Jae-weon of the National Plant of Science and Technology in Ulsan, Republic of korea, has created an eco-friendly toilet system that produces fertilizer and free energy from homo excrement.

Jae-weon, a professor of urban and ecology applied science, said the toilet system incorporates a vacuum pump that redirects human waste into an undercover tank to produce biogas (methane).

The professor'due south experiment is reportedly utilizing the biogas to power a university building, gas stoves and h2o heaters among other things.

"If we think exterior of the box, feces has precious value to make energy and manure. I have put this value into ecological apportionment," the professor said.

Jae-weon's experiment likewise has a digital currency component with a native token chosen Ggool, which is used to incentivize the adoption of the eco-friendly toilet. Students earn 10 Ggool per day if they utilize the toilet and use the digital money to buy coffee, bananas and fifty-fifty books on campus.

Related: Bitcoin Mining Council survey estimates a 56% sustainable power mix in Q2

Detailing the viability of human excrement as a power source, the professor stated that the excrement produced past an average person could produce upwardly to 0.5 kilowatt-hour of electricity, which is sufficient to power an electric vehicle for upward to three-quarters of a mile.

Crypto mining stakeholders are moving toward more eco-friendly power sources, particularly amid the current backlash from policymakers over the supposed carbon footprint of the process. The Bitcoin Mining Council estimates that 56% of Bitcoin mining is currently using sustainable energy sources.