How to add crypto donations to an open source project

Why the usual way fails

Most donation tools were built for creators with an audience on one platform, not for developers whose users arrive through a repository, a release page or a package manager. Traditional platforms take a percentage and hold payouts, which hurts when donations are small and rare. Listing several wallet addresses in a README works, but each coin has its own network, and a supporter sending to the wrong one is a real risk. Many maintainers end up with no donation link at all, because none of the options felt worth the setup. That leaves goodwill on the table from people who already wanted to help.

How BuyMePizza helps

BuyMePizza gives you one tipping page with your own handle, a short bio and the public wallet addresses you want to accept. Supporters pick an amount in pizzas, choose one of the listed coins, such as SOL, ETH, BTC, USDT or USDC, and send it straight to your wallet. BuyMePizza does not hold the money, so there is no payout delay, and it charges no platform fee on tips. You only paste public receiving addresses. The site states it never asks for seed phrases or private keys, and it does not need a bank account or ID to start. The guide lists the GitHub README as one of the places to put your link, next to YouTube, Twitch and Substack. Setting a custom price per pizza lets you match the size of thank you that suits your project. Blockchain transfers are final once sent, which the site points out removes chargeback disputes.

Step by step

1. Claim your handle on BuyMePizza, for example the name of your project.
2. Add a short bio that says what the project is and what support helps with.
3. Paste the public receiving addresses for the coins you want to accept.
4. Set a pizza price that fits a small thank you.
5. Add the page link to your README and your release notes.
6. Mention it once in your project's community channel.

Tips

• Double-check each wallet address after pasting it. A single wrong character sends tips somewhere you cannot reach.
• For stablecoins, say which network you accept, since USDT and USDC can arrive on more than one.
• Never share a seed phrase or private key with anyone who asks for help setting up donations.
• Thank supporters in your changelog or README if they agree. Public thanks often brings the next tip.

Questions