Inquiring minds will be able to work out that of course this plan, by definition, loses money for consumers. So the big bet underneath it all is are the general public actually stupid enough to go for it? Here's a free toaster, some bitcoin, and please don't check your electricity meter?
Hmm, toughie really but I'd say probably yes. After all, as the phrase goes, no one has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the American public. By overestimating it, yes, but not under. ®
Re: decentralization, yes and no. ASIC chips will be out in the wild, so sure perhaps. But this doesn't increase full nodes or fix the centralized pooling problem.
And I don't think the idea is to use the waste heat for the appliances purpose. Its just to have an ASIC in there, along with whatever the appliances function is. So your TV? now its burning electricity constantly.
IMO, the waste heat option IS the way to go, and this concept has been presented before, with "data furnaces" etc as someone above probably pointed out.
What 21 Inc is doing, IMO, is just a brilliant scam.
Yes, I also agree with you.
Sounds really bad to me.
I will agree with that also.
Besides, once the people get informed, I doubt they will go for it.