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The archdiocese of Washington, D.C. of the Roman Catholic Church will begin accepting donations in cryptocurrency as part of an effort to grow its ministries.<\/p>\n
In a Tuesday announcement, crypto platform Engiven said it would be facilitating donations to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. for fundraising efforts and to increase the church\u2019s \u201cdigital stewardship initiatives.\u201d According to the archdiocese\u2019s website, the funds will be used to directly support 139 D.C.-area parishes as well as local programs including providing food to those in need.<\/p>\n
“The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. seeks to leverage technology to engage parishioners in new and exciting ways, making it easier for the faithful to fulfill the mission of the Church,” said Joseph Gillmer, executive director of development for the archdiocese. <\/p>\n
\nEngiven is proud to partner with The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington. <\/p>\n
Why do organizations choose Engiven? <\/p>\n
\u2705 Second-to-none security
\u2705 Unparalleled features + customization
\u2705 World-class support#cryptocurrency<\/a> #nonprofit<\/a> #philanthropy<\/a>https:\/\/t.co\/AelIxnc1fq pic.twitter.com\/W4HWZ24gfb<\/a><\/p>\n\u2014 engiven (@engiveninc) August 2, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Engiven\u2019s page for the archdiocese included the option to send donations anonymously in many cryptocurrencies, from Bitcoin (BTC) to 0x (ZRX). According to the platform, funds designated for individual parishes receive 100% of the net proceeds of donations.<\/p>\n
Cointelegraph reported in November that Engiven had facilitated crypto donations for more than 400 faith-based organizations, including processing a single BTC donation for $10 million. Founder James Lawrence said at the time that \u201cno faith-based organization, church or non-profit can afford to neglect its online audience, donors and seekers\u201d with crypto becoming a part of that ecosystem.<\/p>\n
Related: <\/em><\/strong>Pro-Russian groups raised only 4% of crypto donations sent to Ukraine<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n
While certain dioceses within the Roman Catholic Church seem to be open to using the latest technology, the Russian Orthodox Church said in February 2021 that it was not planning to accept cryptocurrency for donations, nor create its own digital currency. A spokesperson suggested at the time that church members send money over the phone rather than crypto. Russian President Vladimir Putin has since signed a bill into law prohibiting digital financial assets as payments in the country.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n