Wikipedia editors voted in favor of removing cryptocurrency from the Wikimedia Foundation’s donation options. As Ars Technica reports, the editor of the online encyclopedia GorillaWarfare has written a proposal for the foundation to stop accepting cryptocurrencies as they are extremely risky investments. It was also noted that cryptocurrencies may not be in line with the foundation’s commitment to environmental sustainability.
GorillaWarfare’s proposal received comments for three months starting in January. In total, 232 users voted in favor of the proposal, while 94 voted against it. Advocates of cryptocurrency donations stated that they provide safer ways to donate.
One of the biggest controversies surrounding cryptocurrencies is that mining, spending and trading uses huge amounts of energy. This was one of the reasons why Mozilla drew a backlash after announcing that it would start accepting crypto donations. According to a Bitcoin Energy Consumption Index, these processes consume 204.50 terawatt-hours of electricity per year, almost equivalent to that consumed by some countries such as Thailand. Wikimedia currently accepts Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash and Ether.
Although the community has voted in favor of blocking crypto donations, the final decision will still rest with the Wikimedia Foundation. A spokesperson for the Foundation told Ars Technica: “We are aware of the community’s request that the Foundation consider ending our acceptance of cryptocurrency donations. Our Fundraising team is reviewing the request and related discussions and will provide additional information as they complete this process.”
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