Cryptocurrency and Wikipedia

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There are various intersections of cryptocurrencies and the online encyclopedia Wikipedia.

In 2021, a non-fungible token (NFT) of the First Wikipedia edit was sold. This attracted significant controversy from the Wikipedia community. [1] In early 2022, a group of Wikipedia editors voted to not categorize NFTs as art. [2] [3] According to Artnet, "The conclusion angered some in the crypto community, in particular." [4]

The Wikimedia Foundation, which operates Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects, began accepting Bitcoin donations in 2014. [5] [6] The nonprofit organization stopped accepting cryptocurrency donations in 2022. The change followed a proposal started by American Wikipedia editor Molly White and a community vote. [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]

In October 2023, the Wikipedia article about Bitcoin saw a readership spike during the trail of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried. [12]

Further reading

References

  1. ↑ Harrison, Stephen (2021-12-09). "Jimmy Wales Is Auctioning the "Birth of Wikipedia" as an NFT". Slate. Archived from the original on February 2, 2022. Retrieved 2022-02-01.
  2. ↑ "Wikipedia Doesn't Think NFTs Are a Form of Art". Hypebeast. 2022-01-15. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
  3. ↑ McGreevy, Nora. "Should NFTs Be Classified as Art? Wikipedia's Editors Vote 'No'". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
  4. ↑ "Wikipedia Editors Have Voted Not to Classify NFTs as Art, Sparking Outrage in the Crypto Community". Artnet News. 2022-01-13. Archived from the original on 2025-01-18. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
  5. ↑ Rayman, Noah (2014-07-30). "You Can Now Donate to Wikipedia in Bitcoin". TIME. Archived from the original on 2024-11-08. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
  6. ↑ Quiles, Emily. "There's a growing chorus of tech people who dislike crypto. A Wikipedia editor has spelled out the case against it". Business Insider. Retrieved 2025-06-09.
  7. ↑ Meyer, David. "'Extremely risky' and 'inherently predatory': Wikipedia organization decides to stop accepting crypto donations". Fortune Europe. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
  8. ↑ "Wikipedia Editors Don't Want Your Bitcoin". Bloomberg.com. Archived from the original on 2022-05-04. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
  9. ↑ "Wiki community votes to stop accepting cryptocurrency donations". The Register. Archived from the original on 2025-01-21. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
  10. ↑ Lee, Timothy B. (2022-04-13). "Wikipedia community votes to stop accepting cryptocurrency donations [Updated]". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on 2025-05-14. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
  11. ↑ Vynck, Gerrit De (2022-05-29). "First she documented the alt-right. Now she's coming for crypto". The Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved 2025-06-09.
  12. ↑ "Sam Bankman-Fried's FTX fallout and a sudden interest in Bitcoin's Wikipedia page". City AM. 2023-11-07. Retrieved 2025-06-06.
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