Gifts of Cryptocurrency
As cryptocurrency plays an increasingly important and popular role in the world economy, and in the lives of our alumni and other friends, Caltech is pleased to accept gifts of cryptocurrency as a way to help you advance your philanthropic goals. The Institute accepts more than 50 cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH); please see the FAQs, below, for a complete list.
Use the widget to the right to make your crypto gift. Please indicate how you would like your gift to be designated in the donation notes box.
Frequently Asked Questions
Donating cryptocurrency to Caltech is easy. Use the widget above, select your cryptocurrency type, complete the information, receive the wallet address, and make your donation.
You can access all of our wallet addresses by using the crypto donation widget above. Once you enter the type of cryptocurrency and reach the third step, you will receive a unique wallet address that you can use to complete your donation.
Caltech currently accepts Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Amp (AMP), Aave (AAVE), Alchemix (ALCX), Ankr Network (ANKR), Axie Infinity Shards (AXS), Balancer (BAL), Bancor Network Token (BNT), BarnBridge (BOND), Basic Attention Token (BAT), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), ChainLink (LINK), Compound (COMP), Curve (CRV), Dai (DAI), Decentraland (MANA), Dogecoin (DOGE), Enjin Coin (ENJ), Fantom (FTM), Filecoin (FIL), Gemini Dollar (GUSD), Injective Protocol (INJ), Kyber Network (KNC), Litecoin (LTC), Livepeer (LPT), Loopring (LRC), Maker (MKR), Mirror Protocol (MIR), Moss Carbon Credit (MCO2), Orchid (OXT), PAX Gold (PAXG), Polygon (MATIC), Ren (REN), Skale (SKL), Smooth Love Potion (SLP), Somnium Space (CUBE), Storj (STORJ), SushiSwap (SUSHI), Synthetix (SNX), Terra (LUNA), TerraUSD (UST), Tezos (XTZ), The Graph (GRT), The Sandbox (SAND), UMA (UMA), Uniswap (UNI), Yearn.Finance (YFI), Zcash (ZEC), 0x (ZRX), 1inch (1INCH), and any tokens accepted on the Gemini Exchange.
Please make sure to send only the exact cryptocurrencies listed on the blockchain mentioned on the widget. Do not send any other cryptocurrencies (including layer 2, wrapped tokens, NFTs, or other ERC-20 tokens not listed), as these are unsupported and may result in the loss of your donation. For more information, click here.
Yes. You will receive an email receipt for your donation. You must enter your email when prompted in our widget. Caltech does not currently accept anonymous cryptocurrency donations.
In the United States, the IRS classifies cryptocurrencies as property, so cryptocurrency donations to 501(c)(3) charities receive the same tax treatment as stocks. Donating cryptocurrency is a non-taxable event, which means that you do not owe capital gains tax on the appreciated amount and can deduct it on your taxes. Please contact your tax or financial adviser for more information.
To ensure a safe and secure experience, Caltech is partnering with The Giving Block, an organization founded in 2018 to help universities and other nonprofit organizations accept cryptocurrency donations. The Giving Block does not, has not, and will never offer any form of cryptocurrency airdrop, goods, or services in return for a donation.
Read about The Giving Block's security measures at https://thegivingblock.com/resources/secure-your-donor-data/.
Cryptocurrency donations made via The Giving Block are nonrefundable. Because these donations often are converted immediately into U.S. dollars, we are not able to offer cryptocurrency refunds when donors change their minds. Read about The Giving Block's policy on refunds at https://docs.thegivingblock.com/faq/frequently-asked-questions/what-is-the-giving-blocks-donation-refund-policy.
If you would like to learn more about donating cryptocurrency, check out thegivingblock.com/resources/faq, talk to a crypto-savvy tax professional, and/or reach out to The Giving Block to get connected with one.