Miami Beach, Florida – Bitcoin mining giant Marathon Digital Holdings (Mara) will match up to $500,000 in donations to non-profit Bitcoin research and development company Blink during the Bitcoin 2023 conference in Miami Beach, Florida, with a 2-to-1 matching for additional donations thereafter. Announced that it will match with 1. – 1 basis from after the conference until December 31st.
Donations are used for grants and programs that pay Bitcoin Core developers to write and maintain the code for the world’s dominant blockchain. This program is an open source decentralized project that relies entirely on such voluntary donations.
Earlier this year, there were concerns that the current market downturn (crypto winter in the industry jargon) could make Bitcoin’s funding environment worse. Marathon’s pledge, which could raise $1 million if third-party contributions are included, demonstrates the willingness of a vested corporate entity to financially support the Bitcoin funding ecosystem.
“We believe it is very important that these developers are rewarded,” Marathon CEO Fred Thiel said in an interview with CoinDesk. “They are self-financed and the only way they get funding is through grants like the one Blink does.”
“The most important thing for miners is for Bitcoin to become global,” Thiel said. “Our top priority is to ensure that the development and maintenance of Bitcoin Core is adequately funded. We are working with many industry partners and intend to have them contribute as well. “
