Open-source online encyclopedia Wikipedia is now accepting bitcoin through a new partnership with Coinbase. With the integration now active, all users have to do is go to Wikipedia’s donation page and opt to pay in bitcoin. Like with any option, users can choose to make either one-time or recurring donations to the free encyclopedia.
The Wikimedia Foundation, which owns and curates Wikipedia, announced on its official blog that it is now accepting donations in the digital currency. The organization cited grassroots community support for the integration, saying that demand for bitcoin support led to discussions on the leadership level.
The announcement is notable given the Foundation’s past apprehension toward the idea of accepting bitcoin. In March, the organization announced that it was beginning to discuss bitcoin donations, but co-founder Jimmy Wales later commented that Wikimedia was taking a “cautious” approach.
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In the blog post, Wikimedia chief revenue officer Lisa Gruwell said that the discussion process was in-depth, but with more clarification available on the legal status of digital currency, Wikimedia was able to move forward. She wrote: “Currently, we accept 13 different payment methods enabling donations from nearly every country in the world, and today, we’re adding one more: Bitcoin.”
In a separate email sent to Wikipedia supporters, the organization said that the goal is to offer “flexible” payment options to those who donate to keep the online encyclopedia running. With bitcoin, the Foundation declared, Wikipedia supporters can enjoy greater versatility in their donation options.
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The reason for the prior apprehension, the organization said, was the operational and legal complexity and uncertainties surrounding bitcoin. But the Foundation leadership cited its partnership with Coinbase as a method for sidestepping some of the logistical needs that come with accepting bitcoin, which includes the occasional need to exchange bitcoin for fiat currency.
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