Wikipedia Stops Accepting Cryptocurrency Donations Citing Community"s Environmental Concerns
Wikipedia has decided to stop accepting cryptocurrency donations after eight years of doing so. The decision is based on the request by the Wikimedia community citing “issues of environmental sustainability” as a key reason. Wikipedia Discontinues Accepting Bitcoin, Crypto Donations
Wikimedia Foundation has announced its decision to “discontinue direct acceptance of cryptocurrency as a means of donating.” The foundation began accepting bitcoin in July 2014.
“The Wikimedia Foundation is the nonprofit that hosts Wikipedia and our other free knowledge projects,” its website details. Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia with over 200K volunteer contributors, according to the foundation.
The organization posted an update on its Wikipedia page on May 1, stating: We began our direct acceptance of cryptocurrency in 2014 based on requests from our volunteers and donor communities. We are making this decision based on recent feedback from those same communities.
“Specifically, we will be closing our Bitpay account, which will remove our ability to directly accept cryptocurrency as a method of donating,” the update continues.
Molly White, a Wikipedia editor, explained Sunday that the decision came out of a three-month-long discussion which she started on Jan. 10. The discussion wrapped up on April 12. “400 users participated in total, though some were single-purpose accounts created just for the discussion (mostly to try to sway the RfC [Request for Comments] against making this request),” she noted.
The Wikimedia community’s request for comments page explains that common arguments in support of stopping accepting crypto donations include “issues of environmental sustainability, that accepting cryptocurrencies constitutes implicit endorsement of the issues surrounding cryptocurrencies, and community issues with the risk to the movement’s reputation for accepting cryptocurrencies.”
On the other hand, common arguments in opposition of stopping accepting crypto donations include ”the existence of less energy-intensive cryptocurrencies (proof-of-stake), that cryptocurrencies provide safer ways to donate and engage in finance for people in oppressive countries, and that fiat currencies also have issues with environmental sustainability.”
According to the results: Excluding new accounts and unregistered users, the tally is 232 to 94, or 71.17% in support of the proposal … Thus, the Wikimedia community requests that the Wikimedia Foundation stop accepting cryptocurrency donations. Tags in this story Bitcoin, Crypto, Cryptocurrency, WikiMedia, Wikimedia Bitcoin donations, Wikimedia Foundation, Wikipedia, Wikipedia Bitcoin donations, wikipedia bitpay, Wikipedia crypto donations, Wikipedia cryptocurrency donation
What do you think about Wikipedia discontinuing accepting crypto donations? Let us know in the comments section below. Kevin Helms
A student of Austrian Economics, Kevin found Bitcoin in 2011 and has been an evangelist ever since. His interests lie in Bitcoin security, open-source systems, network effects and the intersection between economics and cryptography. Warren Buffett Won"t Pay $25 for All Bitcoin in the World — Charlie Munger Calls BTC "Stupid and Evil" FEATURED | 1 day ago JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon Skeptical of Crypto but Says "Not All of It Is Bad" FEATURED | 2 days ago
Image Credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons Previous articleSequoia Capital Partner Believes Lots of VCs Will Pull Back From Crypto Next articleMEXC Global Officially Lists Leader in Web 3․0 Gaming – UniX Gaming! Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not a direct offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation or endorsement of any products, services, or companies. Bitcoin.com does not provide investment, tax, legal, or accounting advice. Neither the company nor the author is responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in this article. Read disclaimerShow comments More Popular NewsIn Case You Missed ItDraft Law Regulating Aspects of Crypto Taxation Submitted to Russian Parliament
A bill updating Russia’s tax law to incorporate provisions pertaining to cryptocurrencies has been filed with the State Duma, the lower house of parliament. The legislation is tailored to regulate the taxation of sales and profits in the country’s market ... read more.Bill ‘On Digital Currency’ Caps Crypto Investments for Russians, Opens Door for Payments FBI Issues Alert Concerning Malicious State-Sponsored North Korean Hackers Targeting Crypto Firms Iran to Increase Penalties for Unauthorized Cryptocurrency Mining Ethereum Foundation"s Financial Report Discloses It Holds $1.6 Billion in Assets, 80.5% Held in Ether