International Animal Rescue (IAR), a U.K.-based nonprofit focused on animal protection and conservation, announced Thursday that it would no longer accept cryptocurrency donations. It will also reject any contributions from projects within the non-fungible token (NFT) sector.
The charity, which was created back in 1989, started accepting donations in Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tezos, Bitcoin Cash, Binance Coin and other cryptocurrencies in late October.
Alex DovbnyaWhile acknowledging that cryptocurrencies are becoming increasingly popular, the nonprofit argues that they are harmful to the environment due to significant power consumption. It claims that there is "vast" potential for blockchain and cryptocurrency donations, but the current technology is not consistent with International Animal Rescue's vision.
Bitcoin remains the main target of environmental activists, but other crypto projects usually do not escape their wrath despite claiming to consume significantly less energy.
Even though projects like Tezos tend to pride themselves on their green cred, IAR states that there is no blockchain that is truly eco-friendly.
The organization says that the sector needs more innovation to reach the desired level of sustainability. It leaves the door open for continuing to accept cryptocurrency donations in the future.
The IAR has gained international prominence for lobbying against the shooting of migrant birds in Malta, successfully ending the practice of dancing bears in India and rescuing orangutans from illegal sales, among other causes.
As reported by U.Today, the Mozilla Foundation decided to pause cryptocurrency donations in early January due to a casual tweet that resulted in a severe backlash.
The Wikimedia foundation is also being pressured to reject cryptocurrency contributions.
Dan Burgin
U.Today Editorial Team
Vladislav Sopov