You can now support the research in cryptocurrency. The new support page lists Ethereum, Solana, Monero, Dogecoin, and USDC, with Bitcoin being prepared and available soon. We wanted to explain the reasoning properly — not because any donor asked for it, but because this site runs on showing its work.
Why a research lab accepts crypto
Three honest reasons.
1. It matches what we say about sovereignty. Our research principle is “your biology is yours.” A lab that believes people should control their own biological data should be comfortable letting them control their own money too. Cryptocurrency is self-custody: no intermediary decides whether a contribution is allowed.
2. It removes borders. Card payments quietly exclude large parts of the world — people without bank accounts, people in countries with capital controls, people whose payment networks simply don’t reach us. A wallet address works the same for someone in São Paulo, Berlin, or Nairobi. Longevity research should be fundable from anywhere, by anyone, at any amount.
3. It’s the least-privacy-invasive donation channel that exists. For supporters who prefer it, crypto (especially privacy coins like Monero) leaves no trail to a name, an address, or a bank. We have no desire to know who our supporters are unless they choose to tell us. The badge path still exists for people who want a public roll and a simpler checkout; crypto is an additional lane, not a replacement.
We should be straight about the trade-offs too: fees vary wildly by network and congestion (Ethereum can be expensive in busy periods; Solana, Dogecoin, and Monero are usually cheap), and prices are volatile. If you want a fixed, simple, card-based transaction, buy a supporter badge instead. Both paths fund the same thing.
What does not change
Nothing about our funding rules. The same guarantees that apply to badges apply to every crypto contribution:
- It’s not a product. You are not buying anything. There is no perk, no exclusive science, no preferential access — just the knowledge that you helped keep the free guides and research running.
- It’s one-time, never recurring. No subscriptions, no staking, no “memberships.”
- It’s public. Every contribution is recorded in our annual transparency report, exactly like every badge purchase. We can see amounts and addresses on the public blockchain; we publish where the money goes.
And yes — since we keep saying “not medical advice” on the science pages: this is not financial advice either. We are a research lab, not an investment advisor, and nothing on the support page should be read as one.
The honest status: “available soon” is literal
Right now the currency cards on the page show “Available soon.” That is not a design choice — the wallet addresses are still being verified, and no funds should be sent until they are live. Publishing an unverified address would be irresponsible, and we’re not going to do it.
When the addresses are in place, we’ll flip the page to live and log it in the lab log — the same way we log everything else, including what goes wrong.
How to give safely (once live)
A few minutes of checking prevents permanent mistakes. When the addresses are published, keep these in mind:
- Only use the addresses on our site. We will never send unsolicited messages asking for payment. If someone claims to represent the lab and asks for crypto in a DM, it is not us.
- Choose the right network. USDC, for example, exists on both Ethereum and Solana — sending on the wrong network can mean lost funds. Each currency’s card lists its supported networks.
- Send a small test amount first if you’re unsure, and wait for confirmations.
- Transactions are final. There is no refund button on a blockchain.
Bottom line: We accept crypto because it extends who can support the research, in line with what we already believe about self-determination — and it changes nothing about how we account for support. The addresses go live once they’re verified, the lab log will say when, and the transparency report will show every contribution either way.
Not medical advice. Nothing on this page is medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment — and nothing here is financial advice either. Always consult qualified professionals for decisions about your health or your money.