Evaluating JustGiving’s Venture into Cryptocurrency Donations

As cryptocurrency continues to evolve beyond investment and speculation, its role in social impact is becoming more prominent. One of the latest signs of this shift came in December 2024, when UK fundraising giant JustGiving became the first major UK platform to accept cryptocurrency donations, in partnership with The Giving Block.

Now several months into the programme, this article evaluates how the initiative is working, who it’s benefiting, and what it could mean for the future of philanthropy—and for the reputation of crypto itself.

A New Donation Pathway and New Demographic??

JustGiving’s crypto donation feature allows users to give using more than 60 different cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and USDC. Donations are processed by The Giving Block and automatically converted to fiat currency before being delivered to the recipient charity. This eliminates exposure to price volatility while allowing digital asset holders to support causes they care about.

The platform also maintains high compliance standards: anonymous donations are not permitted, and all transactions follow anti-money laundering (AML) and FCA regulatory guidelines, ensuring both transparency and legitimacy.

Though the programme is still in its first year, early signs point to strong uptake. Individual crypto donations on JustGiving have reached up to $4,500 in Ethereum, and data from The Giving Block indicates that crypto gifts average 40 times the size of traditional online donations. These figures suggest that crypto may be more than a novelty—it may be a powerful tool for driving larger, more impactful contributions.

In broader context, The Giving Block reported that over $1 billion in crypto was donated to nonprofits globally in 2024, the highest volume recorded to date. As more high-net-worth individuals hold crypto and look for tax-efficient ways to give, platforms like JustGiving stand to benefit.

One of the most strategic advantages of accepting crypto is the demographic it attracts. According to JustGiving, an estimated 94% of crypto users are Millennials or Gen Z—two groups that increasingly value transparency, digital tools, and social purpose in the organisations they support.

By offering crypto as a donation option, JustGiving is modernising its platform to meet the preferences of this rising generation of donors. It also provides an on-ramp for crypto users who want to support causes but might not have engaged with traditional fundraising platforms otherwise.

But, What Are the Challenges?

As with any new system, there are challenges. Public understanding of crypto donations is still limited, and some charities may remain hesitant to engage with digital assets due to regulatory uncertainty or perceived complexity. JustGiving’s approach—converting all crypto into fiat—removes the need for charities to manage wallets or handle crypto directly, but further education is still needed to expand adoption.

Perception also plays a role. While the narrative around crypto is gradually shifting, reputational issues from past scandals remain in the public consciousness. Ensuring that crypto is seen not only as legitimate, but beneficial, will require continued transparency and strong user experience.

Crypto’s Credibility Through Philanthropy

Despite these challenges, JustGiving’s integration of crypto donations marks a turning point in how digital assets are viewed in the nonprofit sector. It offers concrete proof that cryptocurrencies can be used to deliver value beyond financial markets—supporting disaster relief, health initiatives, education, and more.

And from a crypto industry perspective, this represents an important reputational milestone. Philanthropy has long served as a proving ground for new financial tools. Crypto’s presence on a respected, mainstream platform like JustGiving helps reinforce the narrative that it has real-world value—and staying power.

As the UK moves toward finalising its crypto regulatory framework by 2026, charitable applications like this may become more common. Future innovations may include blockchain-based donation tracking, tokenised fundraising, or even NFT-based donor rewards.

In the meantime, JustGiving’s first steps offer a blueprint for how the nonprofit sector can embrace new technology without sacrificing trust or compliance. And for donors holding crypto, it opens up new ways to turn digital gains into tangible good.

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