How crypto world stands with Ukraine
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the russian army in Ukraine, Ukrainians have faced a problem — how to collect volunteer aid quickly. The Armed Forces units needed additional equipment: SUVs, thermal imagers, drones, helmets, bulletproof vests, and walkie-talkies.
After the National Bank restricted currency withdrawal from the country, volunteers began to look for ways to transfer the collected funds to foreign suppliers. The practice has shown that it is most efficient and convenient to make urgent purchases abroad with the help of cryptocurrencies.
In my opinion, if you do not collect donations in the crypt, you are giving up the opportunities that the modern world provides and leaving the wards without additional help.
I talk about several initiatives on how cryptocurrencies help Ukraine fight against aggressors and rebuild the country. This is not a full list. If you know more crypto/blockchain donation initiatives to help Ukraine, please mention them in the comments, and I’ll add them.
DOTs for Ukraine
Polkadot founder Gavin Wood donated $5.8 million. Wood’s donation is one of the largest individual crypto donations to Ukraine.
$5 million in Ethereum from Vitalik Buterin
Vitali kButerin donated 750 ETH to Unchain Fund, a charity project created by blockchain activists to support Ukraine with humanitarian aid. I tell about Unchain later in this article. He also donated the same amount to Aid For Ukraine, an aid fund set up by the Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation, as confirmed on the organization’s Twitter page.
In August, Buterin has publicly acknowledged using Tornado Cash’s privacy protocol to donate to Ukraine’s war efforts. Buterin’s admission comes a day after the U.S. Treasury added Tornado Cash’s website and smart contracts to its sanctions list.
When asked whether he hid his transaction for fear of government repercussions, the Russian-born programmer said he used Tornado Cash to protect the recipients of the funds rather than himself.
In September, Buterin was in Kyiv at a time when U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also made a surprise unannounced trip there. Ethereum co-founder surprised attendees at the Kyiv Tech Summit to show support for war-torn Ukraine, an appearance that was a closely guarded secret for security reasons.
Everstake donated $10 million in cryptocurrencies to Ukraine
$3.4 million of that was donated by Everstake co-founders Sergey Vasilchuk and Yevhen Seifert to the Aid Ukraine Charity Fund, which buys first aid kits, dry food and body armor for the Ukrainian armed forces.
Another $6.6 million in Everstake was allocated to other volunteer organizations, notably the Kyiv School of Economics’ Charitable Foundation, YeYa Team, Everaidua, Tata Kepler, Peoplesproject.com, Palianytsia.org, Eye of Army, and initiatives by Solomiya Bobrovskaya. Funds will be used to buy thermal imagers, armored vehicles and drones, as well as help refugees.
Ukraine DAO
Est. 21 Feb 2022, Ukraine DAO is a collective that harnesses the power of Web3 tech and the online community to defend Ukraine against the russian invasion.
They have donated over $7 million, including to the Ukrainian government and organizations like 💌Come Back Alive. Ukraine DAO is supported by the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine — the first DAO to have endorsement at a state level.
Ukraine DAO currently focuses on using its platform to counter russian propaganda through promoting 🔍Fact-Checking & Media Literacy and amplifying Ukrainian voices, as well as advocating for ❌#VisaBanForRussians
The Ukrainian flag NFT auctioned by Ukraine DAO is the tenth most expensive NFT ever sold, showing how non-fungible tokens can solve real-life problems.
Transact to Donate Initiative by Wirex
The British fintech company Wirex, which has development centers in Ukraine and Poland, has decided to donate all revenue from transactions in the application to humanitarian needs for Ukraine on the 24th of every month. The initiative was named Transact to Donate.
I coordinated this project as the person responsible for the Wirex R&D brand in Ukraine and Eastern Europe. I worked with funds to maximize the effectiveness of the spent funds and develop partnerships. Since March, the company has donated to such foundations as KOLO, Kyiv School of Economics’ Charitable Foundation, Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation, and Voices of Children.
Also, in April, the company opened access to cryptocurrency cards to Ukrainians in the EU. Due to the war, Ukrainians in European countries can use the Wirex App product without restrictions and get physical Wirex cards. The card allows payment in cryptocurrencies and fiat money.
Binance Card
In April, Binance, the world’s leading cryptocurrency and blockchain infrastructure provider, has launched the Binance Refugee Crypto Card for all current and new Binance users from Ukraine forced to move to EEA countries as a result of the russian invasion.
The Binance card has been created in partnership with Contis. It will allow displaced Ukrainians to make or receive crypto payments and complete purchases at retailers in the EEA who accept card payments.
Kirill Khomyakov, General Manager of Binance in Ukraine, said:
“To date, some four million people have already left Ukraine. It is our responsibility to help people who have suffered from the war and were forced to leave their homes. The Binance Refugee Card will allow Ukrainians to get help from Binance and other charitable organizations, and, if necessary, receive cryptocurrency from any other wallets.”
UNCHAIN Fund
The charity fund “Unchain” — an innovative blockchain-based charity fund. They are provide efficient and transparent direct assistance at a higher speed and lower cost, eliminating the need for intermediaries.
The mission of Unchain is to break the chain of human suffering caused by artificial or natural disasters by applying innovative technologies to collect and distribute donations.
Unchain Fund accepts donations in 14 blockchains — NEAR, Ethereum, Solana, Binance Smart Chain, Celo, Harmony, Polygon, Avalanche, Gnosis, Polkadot, IoTeX, Terra, Bitcoin and Moonbeam in different cryptocurrencies.
One more thing from the Foundation is an Unchain Card — crypto charity debit card created in partnership with Unex Bank and Weld Money.
HOW CAN YOU HELP? Verified Ukraine Donations List 🇺🇦
Crystal’s analysts have been monitoring the various crypto donation programs made available in support of Ukraine, to decipher between verified addresses and potential scams. They have collated a list of official links where you can send support, including those launched by the Ukrainian government.
https://crystalblockchain.com/verified-ukraine-donation-programs-list
So, as you can see, cryptocurrencies are powerful in helping Ukrainians resist aggression and overcome war-related humanitarian challenges. I hope the crypto community will continue to help actively because success depends on unity.
