Thanksgiving represents a cornerstone of charitable giving in the United States, ushering in the season of generosity that peaks between late November and the end of the year. But in 2025, a new trend is reshaping holiday philanthropy—a surge in crypto-based donations.
Benjamin Pousty, chief operating officer at crypto donation platform The Giving Block, told Cryptonews that The Giving Block has processed nearly $100 million worth of crypto donations this year for thousands of nonprofits.
“This has been our biggest year yet,” Pousty said. “We’re approaching $300 million in crypto donations processed since our launch in 2018, a significant milestone for the crypto philanthropy movement.”
2025 Has Been A Breakout Year For Crypto Giving
Despite the current crypto market downturn, Pousty believes that recent all-time highs have sparked charitable giving efforts this year.
“Crypto markets have hit multi-year highs, and historically we see charitable giving rise alongside gains in asset value,” he said.
For instance, Bitcoin (BTC) reached a record all-time high of over $126,000 on October 6, 2025. Pousty shared that Bitcoin continues to be The Giving Block’s top donated asset this year. This is followed by major stablecoins, including Tether’s USDT, Circle’s USDC, and Ripple’s RLUSD.
“We also continue to see strong donation activity in ETH, XRP, and SOL,” Pousty added.
Even as crypto prices continue to decline, Pousty pointed out that crypto donations consistently spike during the holiday season—a pattern that has been seen every year. He mentioned that nearly 30% of all crypto donations arrive in December alone, which mirrors broader charitable giving trends that donors are simply more generous around the holidays. Pousty expects crypto donations to flood in specifically on December 2, which marks “Crypto Giving Tuesday.”
“This is the crypto community’s version of ‘Giving Tuesday.’ For The Giving Block, it marks the official launch of our big Crypto for Impact giving season fundraising campaign. Crypto for Impact brings together donors, nonprofits, and partners across Web3 to celebrate generosity and encourage charitable giving using digital assets,” he added.
Where Crypto Donations Are Making An Impact This Year
A growing number of nonprofits currently support and accept crypto-based donations, showing the impact of these initiatives.
For example, Keith Grossman—president of crypto technology company Moonpay—told Cryptonews that he helped the nonprofit organization New York Cares get started with crypto donations in 2021. As a board member of the organization, Grossman shared that New York Cares has seen an impact through crypto giving, yet this year has been especially impactful for New York City’s largest volunteer network.
“This year we had 16 crypto companies come together to donate over $400,000 to an initiative titled ‘Crypto for Good,’ which supported Title I schools in New York City,” he said.
The campaign was also part of New York Cares’ broad embrace of digital innovation. “From a MoonPay perspective, we integrated Helio (now MoonPay Commerce) into the New York Cares website to help facilitate some of the donations,” Grossman explained.
In addition, The Giving Block’s “Crypto For Impact” report shows measurable outputs tied to crypto giving. For example, as of late 2025, findings show that 28.5 million children have been fed, 357,000 people have gained access to clean water, and 22,160 animals have been rescued and rehabilitated, all thanks to crypto donations.
Donor Advised Funds Help The Crypto Community
While crypto donations are helping traditional nonprofits, funds are also being used to grow the cryptocurrency ecosystem.
Joe Kelly, co-founder and CEO of Unchained Capital, told Cryptonews that Unchained created the “Bitcoin Legacy Project” in April this year as a philanthropic initiative designed to strengthen Bitcoin’s ecosystem.
“The initiative launched with a one-million-dollar initial commitment, and plans to continue expanding funding in the years ahead. The project directly supports the developers, educators, and advocates driving Bitcoin’s future,” Kelly said.
He explained that the Bitcoin Legacy Project is the first-ever Bitcoin-native donor-advised fund (DAF) platform. This allows donors to support Bitcoin-aligned nonprofits in a structured, tax-efficient way.
To further support development and incentivize giving, Kelly noted that Unchained will match 1:1 grants donated through its Bitcoin-native DAF platform to partner organizations. MIT Media Lab’s Digital Currency Initiative, Human Rights Foundation, Open Sats, and Brink will receive up to 1 BTC through this initiative.
“The DAF gives high-net-worth individuals and organizations a simple, tax-efficient way to give back. Donors can contribute Bitcoin or other assets, receive an immediate tax deduction, and keep the donation in BTC within the fund,” Kelly said.
Over time, donors can recommend grants to any 501(c)(3) nonprofit in the US, with the option for recipients to receive the donation in Bitcoin.
Kelly added that Unchained is committed to funding collaborative spaces where Bitcoiners can build, innovate, and conduct ongoing research to shape Bitcoin’s future worldwide.
As part of this multifaceted approach, the Bitcoin Legacy Project will direct funding toward six additional key initiatives throughout its inaugural year. This includes three leading Bitcoin hubs—Bitcoin Park Nashville, Bitcoin Park Austin, and The Space (Denver)—which will provide essential infrastructure for builders.
Benefits of Donating Crypto
While donors want to support causes they care about, crypto donations have a number of tax benefits associated with them.
According to Pousty, crypto donations are often far more tax-efficient than selling appreciated assets. This allows donors to eliminate capital gains taxes while deducting the full fair-market value.
For instance, if a donor gives cryptocurrency that has increased in value, they can completely avoid capital gains tax as long as it was held for more than 12 months. This is often the single biggest tax advantage and one of the most common reasons donors give crypto instead of cash.
Additionally, crypto moves instantly across borders, meaning that nonprofits can receive funds faster during emergencies.
For example, shortly after the 2022 Russian invasion, the Ukrainian government created public crypto wallet addresses to receive donations in various cryptocurrencies. Millions of dollars’ worth of crypto have been donated to help with efforts in regions like Ukraine.
It’s also been noted that crypto donations tend to attract a younger donor base. This is due to the fact that Millennials and Gen Z make up the majority of crypto users.
Challenges To Consider
Although a number of benefits are associated with crypto donations, some organizations and donors may struggle with certain challenges.
Primarily, crypto’s volatility can be problematic. If an asset decreases in value and it is not converted into its dollar value at the time, that donation will depreciate. Crypto donations are also treated differently from cash in many jurisdictions, making rules around tax deductions, reporting, and compliance confusing.
The correct infrastructure is further required in order for crypto donations to be accepted and processed. Platforms like The Giving Block work directly with nonprofits to ensure that crypto donations can be received and reported on properly for tax purposes.
Crypto Donations Continue To Flood In
Challenges aside, crypto donations will likely continue to increase moving forward.
Pousty believes that there is a clear trend toward greater acceptance of crypto donations as an essential donation method alongside cash. He added that more crypto giving from high-net-worth persons and a steady increase in the total share of charitable giving coming from crypto assets are expected as adoption continues to rise.
“Every cycle, we see donor behavior become more sophisticated, nonprofits become more proactive, and partners across the industry step in to support mission-driven causes. We’re moving toward a future where crypto giving sits alongside stocks, DAFs, and other non-cash assets as a standard part of modern philanthropy,” Pousty said.
The post Crypto Donations Surge in 2025, Transforming Thanksgiving Philanthropy appeared first on Cryptonews.
