Mozilla Foundation has put its plans to accept donations in cryptocurrency on hold after it was roundly criticized by its community and co-founder Jamie Zawinski.
Cryptocurrencies have come under significant scrutiny thanks to their negative impact on the climate, although the industry is gradually shifting towards renewable energy.
Mozilla’s Crypto Appeal
Last week, the Mozilla foundation had tweeted out an appeal to its community asking for donations. The tweet stated that Mozilla would also be accepting donations in cryptocurrency. However, this led to an intense backlash from the community and users, which led to, in Mozilla’s words, “an important discussion about cryptocurrencies and their impact on the environment.”
Mozilla Foundation Backtracks
After the appeal for crypto donations was put out, it was met by disapproval by members of the Mozilla community, which also included co-founder Jamie Zawinski. Zawinski has not been associated with Mozilla since 2000 but put out a scathing rebuke, stating,
“Everyone involved in the project should be witheringly ashamed of this decision to partner with planet-incinerating Ponzi grifters.”
Zawinski also talked about the cryptocurrency industry in a blog post, calling it an unrealistic business model, arguing that it turns pollution into money. Other members of the Mozilla community also criticized the tweet, asking how accepting donations in crypto would help Mozilla in fighting the climate crisis.
As a result of these developments, Mozilla tweeted that it would be pausing its plan to accept crypto donations given the online discussion about cryptocurrencies and their environmental impact. However, it stated that it would continue exploring decentralized web technology and would resume accepting crypto donations only if it fits their climate goals. The Foundation also said that it would ensure complete transparency and issue regular updates.
Not The Only High Profile Company In The Crosshairs
Mozilla has become the latest target among a host of high-profile examples that have faced backlash online after they made announcements related to NFTs and crypto, with companies such as Kickstarter, Discord, Square Enix, and Ubisoft facing criticism due to their endorsements of crypto. Square Enix came under significant criticism from gamers when President Yosuke Matsuda talked about and appreciated blockchain gaming, NFTs, and the metaverse. Ubisoft was also the target of keyboard warriors after the launch of in-game NFTs. However, Ubisoft is pressing ahead with its initiative with Aleph.im.
Others that have been in the line of fire have been crowdfunding platform Kickstarter after it announced plans to develop a decentralized lending platform. Discord’s plan of allowing users to connect crypto wallets to user accounts has been paused for now after the company faced an intense backlash. Earlier, Tesla, which had announced plans to accept payments in Bitcoin, had also backtracked, stating that the company would not be accepting BTC as payment, with Musk sharing his concerns with Bitcoin and its high energy requirements.
Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.
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