Ethereum Co-Founder Donates for Earthquake Relief Efforts
The Ethereum co-founder has sent around $227,000 in ETH to two Turkish earthquake relief organizations.
Earthquake devastates Turkey and Syria
A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Turkey and Syria on February 6th, causing widespread devastation and a death toll of 33,000.
The disaster has prompted a response from the global community, including the Ethereum community.
Vitalik Buterin makes donations
Ethereum co-founder, Vitalik Buterin, has made two substantial contributions to support relief efforts in the aftermath of the earthquake. The latest donation of 50 ETH, approximately $77,000, was sent to Anka Relief, as reported by blockchain security firm, PeckShield. Anka has thanked the Ethereum co-founder for his contribution and has noted that crypto donations have been flowing since the first day of the disaster.
🇹🇷 We want to thank @VitalikButerin for donating 50 ETH ~$75k to Anka Relief, a crypto aid fund & community to support Türkiye after the recent earthquakes. https://t.co/kGwXSGWL8J
Dive into the thread below to better understand our mission and ops👇
— Anka Relief (@AnkaRelief) February 12, 2023
Earlier, Vitalik had sent 99 ETH, worth around $150,000, to Ahbap, a non-profit organization dedicated to relief efforts in Turkey. Ahbap claims to have received $4.3 million in crypto donations, with stablecoins being the most popular tokens sent.
READ MORE: “Crypto Assets Are Not Securities”, According to New Paper
Web3 community arranges crypto donations
The Web3 community has supported relief efforts by arranging crypto donations for NGOs. The Web3 relief support organization, Anka, has provided a list of crypto wallets that can be used for contributions and has also spearheaded the Ukraine DAO project to raise crypto donations for the besieged country.
Financial Times reported that crypto donations have been pouring in from around the globe, with more than $10 million in crypto being sent by companies.
Binance has donated $5 million in support of Turkish relief efforts and announced $100 in BNB airdrops to those in the hardest-hit areas.
Crypto has been used for earthquake relief before
This is not the first time crypto has been used for earthquake relief efforts. In 2015, Bitcoin donations were sent to relief organizations following the earthquake in Nepal.
The latest donations made by Vitalik Buterin and others are a testament to the versatility of crypto as a tool for making a positive impact in the world.