Wikimedia Foundation, which owns and manages Wikipedia, has terminated the acceptance of cryptocurrency donations. The decision comes after a three-month discussion period, according to a report. Wikipedia editor Molly White shared a screenshot of the announcement on Twitter. Mashable reported that White also runs the ‘Web3 is Going Great’ website, which tracks scams and hacks in the cryptocurrency space.
According to a Mashable report, critics cited environmental concerns and the legitimacy of the crypto space as reasons to stop accepting cryptocurrency donations. XDA Developers reported Wikimedia would also close its account with Bitpay, a service provider through which Wikimedia collected cryptocurrency donations.
The company started the direct acceptance of cryptocurrency in 2014 based on recommendations from donors. It was introduced by Lisa Seitz-Gruwell, Chief Advancement Officer at The Wikimedia Foundation. Bitcoin became the fourteenth cryptocurrency accepted by Wikimedia Foundation. However, the discontinuance also comes based on recommendations of the community.