Fidelity's Charity Arm Raised $28M in Crypto Donations Last Year

The 2020 crypto totals beat 2019's tally of $13 million, but the amount fell short of 2018's $30 million.

Feb 18, 2021 at 8:25 p.m. UTC

Updated Sep 14, 2021 at 12:13 p.m. UTC

abigail-johnson — Fidelity CEO Abigail Johnson at Consenys 2017

Fidelity Charitable, the charity arm of the mutual fund giant, raised $28 million in cryptocurrency donations in 2020, more than double the amount raised the previous year.

Fidelity Charitable's "2021 Giving Report," released Wednesday, reveals crypto donations made up only a tiny fraction of the $1.6 billion in so-called "non-publicly traded assets" amassed during 2020.
The 2020 crypto totals beat 2019's tally of $13 million, but the amount fell short of 2018's $30 million and was well below the record $69 million haul Fidelity Charitable brought in 2017.
Fidelity touts its crypto giving program as a tax workaround, allowing crypto holders to put their coins – mostly bitcoin – to good use without incurring capital gains.
The charitable arm issued $9.1 billion in grants last year, accepted donations from more than 250,000 donors and reported a 6% increase in grant size year-over-year, in spite of the pandemic.

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