When Bitwise Asset Management launched its Bitcoin ETF in January 2024, it committed to handing over 10% of its total profits each year to those who continue to run Bitcoin. 14 months later, that promise is still being kept and the scale is growing.
Increasing commitment to open source work
The company announced a $233,000 donation on March 4 to the Bitcoin Development Fund of Brink, OpenSats, and the Human Rights Foundation, three organizations that fund BTC open source developers.
Combining last year’s donations, Bitwise has now put more than $380,000 into the hands of programmers who maintain and protect the world’s largest cryptocurrency network. The money doesn’t come from marketing budgets or corporate goodwill gestures. It came straight from ETF returns.
As part of our annual commitment to supporting Bitcoin open source developers, Bitwise is proud to donate $233,000 to support the unsung heroes who maintain and protect the Bitcoin network.
This has been a big year for the Bitwise Bitcoin ETF ($BITB). pic.twitter.com/wjEoLHDVsY
— Bitwise (@Bitwise) March 4, 2026
Image Credit: Reuters/Brendan McDermid/File Photo
At its center is the Bitcoin ETF (ticker BITB), which has attracted more than $2.5 billion in investor inflows since its launch. This growth is the driving force that determines the size of our annual giving.
As BITB grows, so do your contributions. Bitwise said this when announcing this year’s futures, confirming that future contributions will scale based on the fund’s assets under management.
thank you @Beatwise We are a team supporting open source Bitcoin development! https://t.co/xDgQTc5RHk
— Brink (@bitcoinbrink) March 4, 2026
Bitcoin’s Invisible Workforce
Open source developers rarely make headlines. They write code, review proposals, fix bugs, and argue about technology upgrades in public forums. Most are unpaid.
Three non-profit organizations accepting donations from Bitwise exist specifically to change that. Brink and OpenSats offer grants and fellowships to regular contributors. The Human Rights Foundation’s Bitcoin Development Fund is focused on reaching developers in countries where their financial freedom is most at risk.
For these organizations, corporate donations of this magnitude are important. The core development of the best cryptocurrency assets has no central authority, no company writing its payroll. Funding comes from donors, so consistency is important.
Beyond Cryptocurrency
Bitwise has extended the same model to Ethereum. According to the report, the company donated a portion of its spot Ethereum ETF (ETHW) profits last year to Ethereum open source contributors.
The company manages more than $15 billion in assets across more than 40 products, including ETFs involving XRP, Solana, and Dogecoin.
The broader picture is companies that not only benefit from cryptocurrencies but also use their ETF business to fund the operations that keep them functioning.
It remains to be seen whether this will become an industry standard. Today, Bitwise is one of the few companies that does this consistently and puts receipts on the table every year.
Featured image from Pexels, chart from TradingView
editing process for focuses on providing thoroughly researched, accurate, and unbiased content. We adhere to strict sourcing standards, and each page is diligently reviewed by our team of top technology experts and seasoned editors. This process ensures the integrity, relevance, and value of the content for readers.
