Wikipedia to stop accepting cryptocurrency donations starting May 1 citing environmental concerns

The Wikimedia Foundation officially announced on May 1 that it will no longer directly accept cryptocurrency donations. The Wikimedia Foundation has been accepting cryptocurrency donations since July 2014, but earlier this year, due to concerns about "environmental sustainability issues," and with the support of over 200 volunteer Wikipedia editors, it decided to stop accepting cryptocurrency donations.

Over the past year, the Wikimedia Foundation has received cryptocurrency donations from 347 sponsors, totaling about $130,000, accounting for 0.08% of all revenue, making it the smallest form of donation to the foundation.

In January of this year, English Wikipedia administrator Molly White initiated a proposal to stop accepting cryptocurrency donations by the Wikimedia Foundation. After heated discussions, the proposal was supported by over 200 volunteers through a vote on April 12.

Molly White stated that the decision was made based on the community's request for the Wikimedia Foundation to no longer accept cryptocurrency donations, which was reached after a three-month discussion.

The motivation behind supporting the proposal to stop accepting cryptocurrency donations is based on common arguments, including concerns about "environmental sustainability." Accepting cryptocurrency implies tacit endorsement of the environmental issues associated with cryptocurrencies and involves reputational risks.

Those eligible to vote did not include new accounts and unregistered users. The vote resulted in 232 in favor and 94 against, with a support rate of 71.17% for ceasing to accept cryptocurrency donations.

This article is authorized for reprint from Horizon News Network