The Wikimedia community decisively approved a motion to have the Wikimedia Foundation, which supports Wikipedia, cease accepting bitcoin payments.
On a request for comment that ran from January 10 to April 12, members of the Wikimedia community debated this subject in the Meta-Wiki dedicated to the Wikimedia Foundation's initiatives.
232 individuals voted for the Wikimedia Foundation to cease accepting bitcoin donations, while 94 people voted to keep them going, according to Meta-Wiki administrator "Vermont."
The following is how Vermont described the months-long discussion on this topic:
"Issues of environmental sustainability, the fact that adopting cryptocurrencies implies implicit endorsement of the issues surrounding cryptocurrencies, and community concerns about the movement's reputation for accepting cryptocurrencies are all common reasons in support.
The existence of less energy-intensive cryptocurrencies (proof-of-stake), the fact that cryptocurrencies provide safer ways to donate and engage in finance for people in oppressive countries, and the fact that fiat currencies have issues with environmental sustainability are all common arguments in opposition."
Concerns over the environment prompted Mozilla to cease accepting bitcoin donations, and Tesla to stop taking Bitcoin pre-orders for its electric vehicles.
The regularity with which crypto initiatives turn out to be frauds or get-rich-quick schemes appears to be the main source of other worries about being linked with cryptocurrencies.
The findings of the call for feedback "show overall community support, with a sizable minority in opposition," according to Vermont, implying that "the Wikimedia community demands that the Wikimedia Foundation discontinue accepting bitcoin payments."