PANew reported on December 13 that, according to Cointelegraph, Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales lashed out at BTC on the X platform on December 11, boasting that although many users have lost their BTC because they have forgotten the password of their BTC wallet, he has never lost a sum of money because he forgot his bank password. Wales' remarks did not resonate with the broader crypto community, who fought back against the Wikipedia co-founder's reliance on donations for his day-to-day operations.
BTC community condemned Wales for his unprovoked attacks on BTC and reminded Wales that while banks may be useful, they are not for everyone and that 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 where the rule of law and currencies are strong. He added that only about 1 billion of the world's 8 billion people have access to banking services. Lyn Alden, founder of Lyn Alden's Investment Strategy, said that even those with bank accounts are not always safe, citing the example of a Lebanese doctor who lost 95% of the value of his savings due to hyperinflation. Samson Mow, a BTC supporter, mocked Wales' company's plight of surviving on donations. Mo said that if Wikipedia "bought BTC years ago, as I suggested, then you wouldn't have to beg for donations every year in perpetuity."