Another Thanksgiving arrives, and crypto donations become a new trend

Crypto for Good is in its prime.

Written by: Rachel Wolfson

Translated by: Chopper, Foresight News

Thanksgiving is a key moment for charitable giving in the United States, marking the start of the season of generosity from late November through the end of the year. In 2025, a new trend is reshaping holiday philanthropy, as crypto donations experience explosive growth.

Benjamin Pousty, COO of crypto donation platform The Giving Block, told Cryptonews that the platform has already processed nearly $100 millions in crypto donations for thousands of nonprofits this year.

“This has been our best year to date,” Pousty said. “Since our launch in 2018, the total amount of crypto donations we’ve processed is approaching $300 millions, which is a significant milestone for the crypto philanthropy movement.”

2025: A Breakthrough Year for Crypto Donations

Although the current crypto market is in a downturn, Pousty believes that recent all-time highs are a key driver behind this year’s surge in charitable giving.

“The crypto market has hit new highs in recent years, and historically, when asset values rise, charitable donations tend to increase as well,” he said.

For example, Bitcoin reached an all-time high of over $126,000 on October 6, 2025. Pousty pointed out that Bitcoin remains the top donated asset on the platform this year, followed by major stablecoins including USDT, USDC, and Ripple’s RLUSD.

“Donations in Ethereum, Ripple, and Solana also remain active,” Pousty added.

Even as crypto prices continue to fall, Pousty noted that crypto donations always spike during the holiday season. Donations in December alone account for nearly 30% of the annual total, which aligns with the broader trend of donors being more generous during the holidays. Pousty expects that December 2, ‘Crypto Giving Tuesday,’ will see a peak in crypto donations.

“This is the crypto community’s version of ‘Giving Tuesday,’” he explained. “For The Giving Block, it marks the official launch of our major fundraising campaign, Crypto for Good. This initiative brings together donors, nonprofits, and partners from the Web3 space to promote generosity and encourage charitable giving through crypto assets.”

The Annual Impact Areas of Crypto Donations

An increasing number of nonprofits are beginning to support and accept crypto donations, demonstrating the tangible impact of such initiatives.

For example, Keith Grossman, President of crypto technology company Moonpay, told Cryptonews that he helped nonprofit New York Cares launch a crypto donation program in 2021. As a board member of the organization, Grossman said that crypto donations have brought real results to New York Cares, and 2025 is especially significant for the largest volunteer network in New York City.

“This year, 16 crypto companies jointly donated over $400,000 to the Crypto for Good initiative, which supports Title I schools (public schools in the US serving low-income students) in New York City,” he said.

This initiative is also part of New York Cares’ broader embrace of crypto innovation. “From Moonpay’s perspective, we integrated Helio (now renamed Moonpay Commerce) into the New York Cares website to help process some donations,” Grossman explained.

In addition, The Giving Block’s Crypto for Good report shows that crypto donations have produced measurable results: by the end of 2025, thanks to crypto donations, 28.5 million children received food assistance, 357,000 people gained access to clean water, and 22,160 animals were rescued and rehabilitated.

Donor-Advised Funds Empower the Crypto Community

Crypto donations not only support traditional nonprofits but also inject funding into the development of the crypto ecosystem.

Joe Kelly, co-founder and CEO of Unchained Capital, told Cryptonews that the company launched the “Bitcoin Legacy Project” in April this year, a philanthropic initiative aimed at strengthening the Bitcoin ecosystem.

“The project started with a $1 million commitment and plans to expand funding in the coming years. The initiative will directly support developers, educators, and advocates advancing Bitcoin’s future,” Kelly said.

He explained that the “Bitcoin Legacy Project” is the first native Bitcoin donor-advised fund (DAF) platform, allowing donors to support nonprofits aligned with Bitcoin’s philosophy in a structured, tax-advantaged way.

To further support ecosystem development and incentivize donations, Kelly noted that Unchained will provide 1:1 matching for funds donated to partner organizations through its native Bitcoin DAF platform. Organizations such as MIT Media Lab’s Digital Currency Initiative, the Human Rights Foundation, Open Sats, and Brink will receive up to 1 Bitcoin in funding through this program.

“DAFs offer high-net-worth individuals and organizations a simple, tax-advantaged way to give back. Donors can contribute Bitcoin or other assets, receive immediate tax deductions, and keep the donated funds in Bitcoin within the fund,” DAF said.

Donors can recommend grants to any US nonprofit that qualifies under section 501(c)(3) at any time, and recipients can also choose to receive donations in Bitcoin.

As part of this diverse initiative, the “Bitcoin Legacy Project” will provide funding in its first year to six other key initiatives, including three leading Bitcoin centers—Bitcoin Park in Nashville and Austin, as well as “The Space” in Denver. These centers will provide essential infrastructure support for developers.

The Advantages of Crypto Donations

In addition to supporting causes they care about, crypto donations also offer multiple tax advantages.

Pousty stated that crypto donations are generally more tax-efficient than selling appreciated assets, as donors can avoid capital gains tax and still deduct the full fair market value of the asset.

For example, if a donor has held crypto for more than 12 months and the asset has appreciated, donating it allows them to completely avoid capital gains tax. This is the main tax advantage and a core reason why many donors choose crypto over cash donations.

Additionally, crypto can be transferred instantly across borders, meaning nonprofits can receive funds more quickly in emergencies.

For example, shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the Ukrainian government created public crypto wallet addresses to receive various crypto donations, and millions of dollars in crypto assets have been used to support Ukraine-related relief efforts.

It’s worth noting that crypto donations often attract a younger donor demographic, as Millennials and Gen Z make up the majority of crypto users.

Challenges to Watch

Despite the significant advantages of crypto donations, some organizations and donors may still face challenges.

First, the volatility of crypto can pose problems. If asset values drop and are not converted to USD in time, the actual value of the donation will shrink. In addition, in many jurisdictions, the tax treatment of crypto donations differs from cash, with more complex rules regarding tax deductions, reporting, and compliance.

At the same time, accepting and processing crypto donations requires appropriate infrastructure support. Platforms like The Giving Block work directly with nonprofits to ensure crypto donations are properly received and provide compliant reporting for tax purposes.

Crypto Donations Continue to Flow In

Despite the challenges, crypto donations are likely to continue growing in the future.

Pousty believes that crypto donations are gradually becoming an important giving method alongside cash, and this trend is very clear. He added that as crypto adoption becomes more widespread, high-net-worth individuals are expected to increase their crypto donations, and the share of crypto assets in total charitable giving will steadily rise.

“With each cycle, we see donor behavior becoming more mature, nonprofits becoming more proactive, and industry partners joining forces to support mission-driven causes. We are moving toward a new future: crypto donations will become a standard part of modern philanthropy, just like stocks, donor-advised funds, and other non-cash assets,” Pousty said.