Molly White, a longtime editor of Wikipedia who edits under the username GorrilaWarfare, has submitted a proposal that seeks to end the Wikimedia Foundation’s acceptance of crypto donations. The foundation is a nonprofit charitable organization that has been set up to fund Wikipedia. White’s concerns revolve primarily around the environmental impact of cryptocurrencies. Currently, Wikipedia accepts Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, and Ethereum.
White presented three key reasons for why the platform should end crypto donations.
Molly White presented three key reasons as to why the platform should end crypto donations. First, she claims that “accepting cryptocurrencies signals endorsement of the cryptocurrency space by the Wikimedia Foundation and members of the Wikimedia Movement,” adding that she believes Wikipedia is “mainstreaming the usage of ‘investments’ and technology that are inherently predatory.” She also claims that cryptocurrencies “may not align with the Wikimedia Foundation’s commitment to environmental sustainability” and that the Wikimedia Foundation “risks damaging its reputation by participating in this.” The proposal, published on Tuesday, is followed by several sub-discussions and a vote.
The crypto industry’s impact on the environment has been a hot topic of debate.
The crypto industry’s impact on the environment has triggered debates among crypto enthusiasts and its cynics. The Bitcoin network, which consumes more energy than most of the world’s countries per year, generates a carbon footprint broadly equivalent to billions of pounds of burned coal or millions of homes’ average annual consumption of electricity. The Ethereum network—which, like Bitcoin, operates on a proof-of-work (PoW) consensus algorithm—is said to consume approximately 106 terawatt-hours of energy per year. However, crypto supporters have claimed that more and more crypto miners are now using green energy to mine cryptocurrencies.
