Wiki continues to accept crypto donations despite pressure to stop

Following a connection from users to stop accepting crypto donations to Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit confirmed that it would proceed with crypto donations.

Contributors banded unneurotic to impulse the instauration to disable the enactment to donate successful crypto due to the fact that of biology concerns. However, portion the enactment volition continuously show the conversations astir crypto wrong its communities, it volition not budge connected accepting crypto donations.

Elise Flick from the Wikimedia squad told Cointelegraph that Wikimedia’s fundraising attack is gathering donors wherever they are. Flick mentioned that the instauration aims to “provide the astir desired outgo options successful antithetic parts of the world.” This includes catering to the requests that the instauration received from donors requesting to beryllium capable to donate successful cryptocurrency.

"We privation to beryllium arsenic inclusive arsenic possible, and let radical to lend with the method they consciousness astir comfy with."

Julia Brungs, the Senior Community Relations Specialist from Wikimedia Foundation, besides responded to Molly White’s (GorillaWarfare) questions successful the archetypal proposal. According to Brungs, the astir utilized crypto for donations was Bitcoin (BTC). However, the enactment instantly converts it into fiat. “We person ne'er held cryptocurrency, and spot-convert donations regular into fiat currency (USD), which doesn’t person a important biology impact,” wrote Brungs.

The effect besides cited information from Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index that says that determination is precise small grounds that connects Bitcoin straight arsenic a contributor to clime change. The information “shows that adjacent successful the worst-case (i.e., mining powered exclusively by coal), Bitcoin’s biology footprint presently remains marginal astatine best.”

Related: ‘Emergency’: Wikipedia editors ballot against classifying NFTs arsenic art

Meanwhile, not each organizations are consenting to proceed crypto donations aft receiving anti-crypto assemblage feedback. Earlier this January, Mozilla paused its acceptance of crypto donations aft receiving a absorption from a co-founder. Because of this decision, the creator of Dogecoin slammed Mozilla saying “thank you for succumbing to an ignorant, reactionary net mob.”