The founder of non-profit Wikipedia Jimmy Wales said that they have absolutely no interest in launching an Initial Coin Offering (ICO), or turning to cryptocurrencies in general.
“Zero Interest”
Jimmy Wales, founder of the popular free online encyclopedia, expressed his utter reservation towards the field of cryptocurrencies. When asked about whether Wikipedia even considers cryptocurrencies or the launch of a potential ICO, he said that they are “absolutely never going to do that.”
Despite his skepticism towards the field, Wales was recently invited to hold a speech at BlockShow Europe 2018 in Berlin.
Speaking on the matter, the founder of Wikipedia said:
I have reservations about blockchain. It’s a super-interesting technology, but it’s clearly a bubble with a lot of mania and hype around it. People pay me to give speeches, so I flew to Berlin. I really do like the city, I think it’s great.
It’s also worth noting that this isn’t the first time Wales has expressed his criticism towards ICOs. In 2017, he told CNBC:
I think blockchain is a super interesting technology but there are a lot of fads going on right now[…] There are a lot of these initial coin offerings which in my opinion are absolute scams and people should be very wary of things that are going on in that area.
Accepts Bitcoin Anyways
Contrary to what one would expect, given Wales serious reservation, the Wikipedia Foundation formally accepts Bitcoin as a means for making a donation.
The organization began accepting the world’s first and foremost cryptocurrency back in 2014. While it’s unclear the total amount of Bitcoin Wikipedia has received in donations, it certainly seems they had grasped at its potential long time ago, despite Wales’ obvious skepticism.
What do you think of Jimmy Wales’s opinion on ICOs and cryptocurrencies? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments below!
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