Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales lashed out at Bitcoin on the Password and lost a sum of money. Wales’ comments did not resonate with the broader crypto community, which pushed back against the Wikipedia co-founder’s reliance on donations for day-to-day operations.
The Bitcoin community condemned Wales for his unprovoked attack on Bitcoin and reminded Wales that while banks may be useful, they are not suitable for everyone and there are many people in the world who do not have access to banking services. Alex Gladstein, chief strategy officer at the Human Rights Foundation, reminded Wales that banks work well in countries with rule of law and strong currencies. He added that only about 1 billion of the world's 8 billion people have access to banking services. Even those with bank accounts are not always safe, said Lyn Alden, founder of Lyn Alden Investment Strategy, citing the example of a Lebanese doctor who lost 95% of the value of his savings due to hyperinflation. Bitcoin supporter Samson Mow mocked the plight of Wales’ company, which relies on donations to survive. Mo said that if Wikipedia "had followed my advice and purchased Bitcoin a few years ago, you wouldn't have had to be perpetually begging for donations every year." (Cointelegraph)