The Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. of the Roman Catholic Church will start accepting donations in crypto as part of an effort to grow its ministries. Crypto donations platform Engiven’s page for the archdiocese features the option to send funds anonymously using most tokens, ranging from Ether to ZRX.
In an August 2 announcement, crypto platform Engiven stated that it would facilitate donations to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. for fundraising operations and to expand the church’s “digital stewardship initiatives.”
Based on the archdiocese’s website, the funds will get used directly to support 139 D.C.-area parishes and local programs, including offering food to those in need of it. The executive director of development for the archdiocese, Joseph Gillmer, stated:
“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.”
Engiven is proud to partner with The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington.
Why do organizations choose Engiven?
✅ Second-to-none security
✅ Unparalleled features + customization
✅ World-class support#cryptocurrency #nonprofit #philanthropyhttps://t.co/AelIxnc1fq pic.twitter.com/W4HWZ24gfb— engiven (@engiveninc) August 2, 2022
Engiven’s official page for the archdiocese included the option to send donations anonymously in most cryptos, from 0x’s ZRX to Bitcoin (BTC). Based on the platform, funds designated for individual parishes get 100% of the net proceeds for donations.
Reports emerged in November that Engiven had facilitated crypto donations for over 400 faith-based organizations, which include processing one BTC donation for $10 million. The founder James Lawrence stated at the time that “no faith-based organization, church or non-profit can afford to neglect its online audience, donors and seekers” with cryptocurrency becoming a part of that ecosystem.
While various dioceses within the Roman Catholic Church appear to be open to using the latest technology, the Russian Orthodox Church stated in February 2021 that it was not planning to accept crypto for donations, nor develop its in-house digital currency.
A spokesperson said at the time that church members send money over the phone instead of crypto. Since then, Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a bill into law banning digital financial assets as payments in the nation.
