Human Rights Foundation to Help Activists Protect Their Bitcoin Funds

Published at: July 15, 2020

The Human Rights Foundation, or HRF, a major global organization promoting democracy and freedom, continues to explore the use of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) as a way to protect human rights around the world.

The HRF recently partnered with crypto custody startup Casa to help global activists effectively protect crypto funds used to fight human rights abuses and challenge authoritarianism.

Casa to share Bitcoin expertise to support human rights

As part of the new collaboration, Casa will be working with the HRF to educate non-profit organizations, or NGOs, and activists about Bitcoin. Announcing the news on July 15, Casa said that the startup will participate in HRF workshops, providing its expertise in Bitcoin security to global activists.

The new initiative is intended to address financial difficulties faced by societies ruled by authoritative regimes. NGOs often find it difficult to access traditional banking services. By promoting the use of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, the HRF and Casa are hoping to help activists raise their funds in a secure way.

Storing crypto funds might challenging

Alex Gladstein, chief strategy officer at the HRF, outlined the enormous potential of Bitcoin to assist activists in raising funds to fight against human rights abuses. According to the executive, the question of storing crypto funds in a safe way has always been a major challenge.

As such, Casa is expected to significantly expand the necessary expertise in protecting funds for NGOs like independent media outlets, environmental groups, anti-corruption activists, and pro-democracy movements. Gladstein said:

“With software like Casa, organizations can keep their bitcoin secure while maintaining full control, without the risk of losing funds due to a mistake. It’s critical that activists control the private keys to their bitcoin, so they can always get their funds to where it’s needed, when it’s needed.”

Founded in 2005, the New York-headquartered organization has been actively involved in the crypto industry for a number of years. In June 2020, the foundation introduced its own Bitcoin Development Fund, a privacy-focused project to support developers making Bitcoin a safer tool for activists and journalists around the world. As of June 23, the fund received nearly $30,000 in donations from 22 donors.

Previously, the HRF issued a report analyzing the censorship and privacy landscape of stablecoins like Tether (USDT) and Dai (DAI).

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