The popular festival Burning Man, which takes place in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert is now accepting bitcoin donations to expand its organization.
CEO Marion Goodell explains:
“Donations will help provide more grants, training and support to creators of radically interactive art and evens on and off the playa, fund civic programs, teach communities the power of collaboration, strengthen our infrastructure and making the Burning Man experience accessible year-round… Accepting Bitcoin for donations is an experimental first step. We plan to explore other possibilities in the future, including expanding Bitcoin to the ticket-buying process.”
Some say that Burning Man’s reputation as a party haven for people to indulge in mass quantities of drugs and alcohol is ill-deserved. According to Chris Taylor, a long-time lover of Burning Man and writer for “Mashable,” there is more safety than one might think:
“Sure, you’re getting away from some of the trappings of civilization – though certainly not all, because the county police are as numerous and visible a presence in Black Rock City as in any American city. It is also Federal land filled with BLM rangers, who work hand in hand with the Burning Man organization to make sure this party on protected land gets its usual world-class cleanup… Burning Man is crawling with law enforcement and officialdom; they’ve just gotten very good at blending in. The notion that you have complete freedom to openly flout federal or Nevada state law is a dangerous myth.”
Either way, Burning Man has often claimed that it’s always on the brink of the latest technology and innovations, and with its recent acceptance of bitcoin, perhaps there’s some truth to that legend.