Canada Protestors move to crypto crowdfunding platform after GoFundMe ban

Truckers protesting against Canada’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate have moved to Tallycoin, a Bitcoin-based crowdfunding platform, following political pressure from all directions that resulted in GoFundMe withdrawing their “Freedom Convoy Campaign”.

On Friday, GoFundMe axed the campaign and $9 million in donations in response to reports of violence, which it said is against its terms of service. Initially, the donors were needed to apply for reimbursement of their funds. However, following a wave of criticism, the platform decided that it would automatically refund donors instead.

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GoFundMe said it had reason to believe that the protest turned dangerous. “We now have evidence from law enforcement that the previously peaceful demonstration has become an occupation, with police reports of violence and other unlawful activity,” the company said in a statement.

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Following the withdrawal of the campaign by GoFundMe, a group of anti-vaccine mandate protestors moved their efforts to Tallycoin, a crowdfunding platform based on the Bitcoin (BTC) blockchain.

The new fundraising page said, “Legacy financial infrastructure can sometimes be politicized and clamped down upon, whereas Bitcoin is a truly censorship resistant method of communicating value”.

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Currently, more than $320,000 had been donated to the Tallycoin fundraiser, which is only a small portion of the $9 million raised on GoFundMe. It will remain a matter to be looked upon whether the funds raised through Tallycoin will be subject to the same governmental and political pressure when converted into fiat currency.

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GoFundMe’s Freedom Convoy Campaign started in the middle of January for cross-border truckers in Canada protesting against vaccine requirements.

Since then, it has become an all-encompassing rallying point against prescriptive public health measures, including lockdowns and mask requirements.

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This isn’t the first case when governments or big tech have issued mandates on who can or cannot receive money based on politics. GoFundMe has also seized $160,000 in funds until organizers of Convoy to Canberra presented a detailed spending plan on January 31.

Shortly before the withdrawal of the Freedom Convoy Campaign, it had reportedly become the fifth most successful campaign in GoFundMe’s history.