That’s it, it’s official, the Wikimedia Foundation no longer accepts donations in cryptocurrencies. The announcement came in early May in response to a suggestion posted in January on the foundation’s website.
Cryptocurrencies are no longer welcome
There is no longer any question of receiving donations in cryptocurrencies for the foundation behind the online encyclopedia Wikipedia. Bitcoins, ethers and other digital currencies were offered as a means of payment to help financially since 2014.
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” The Wikimedia Foundation has decided to no longer accept cryptocurrency as a means of making donations says Lisa Seitz-Gruwell, head of advocacy for the foundation. ” We made this decision based on community feedback. »
In order to ensure that it no longer receives any cryptocurrency donations, Wikimedia has closed its Bitpay account. “ We will continue to monitor this change and appreciate the feedback and consideration given to this evolving issue by members of the Wikimedia movement. “says Lisa Seitz-Gruwell.
The Wikimedia Foundation has decided to stop accepting cryptocurrency donations. The decision was made based on a community request that the WMF no longer accept crypto donations, which came out of a three-month-long discussion that wrapped up earlier this month. pic.twitter.com/RHAD0FRA5W
— Molly White (@molly0xFFF) May 1, 2022
A suggestion approved after months of discussions
This decision comes a few weeks after the debates around cryptocurrency donations on the platform. Earlier this year, GorillaWarfare member, real name Molly White, called on the foundation to stop accepting cryptocurrency donations.
It’s in a long community feedback request, listing the opinions of nearly 400 users on more than 60,000 words, which the community was able to debate. With 71.17% of the vote, Wikipedia users voted against crypto donations.
It must be said that the absence of this means of payment will not change much in the habits of the site. In 2021, cryptocurrency donations represented only 0.08% of donations for an equivalent of $130,100.94.
” I am very happy that the Wikimedia Foundation has responded to the request of its community. I am very proud of my community who made what seems to me to be an ethical decision after a long discussion “says Molly White to The Verge.
The user, creator of the Web3 Is Going Just Great site which highlights the setbacks of the crypto world, has become an anti-cryptocurrency activist over the years. ” There are too many problems with cryptocurrencies to make potential donations worth helping to legitimize them. »