In the war against the novel coronavirus, cryptocurrencies are emerging as a much-needed tool for charity and fundraising projects. Already there are a number of large nonprofits accepting Bitcoin donations. Plus, some blockchain and crypto firms are contributing medical supplies to hospitals in an attempt to curb the virus, while others are setting up fundraisers and charities that are aimed at helping its victims. As a number of nonprofits continue to accept cryptocurrency donations, they are starting to realize that crypto transactions significantly reduce costs in terms of fees. Here are a number of charities and fundraisers that accept donations …

Waves has launched a macabre campaign to purportedly raise money for COVID-19 relief. The platform has created a tokenized parimutuel betting pool where users can speculate on whether the global number of confirmed coronavirus cases has risen or fallen within a given week. On April 3, Waves announced the ‘charity campaign,’ ostensibly in support of “organizations and funds in need of financial aid in fighting the global COVID-19 pandemic.” Waves launches tokenized COVID-19 prediction market Waves.Exchange users can now purchase ‘COVID-DWN’ or ‘COVID-UP’ tokens to speculate on whether the number of globally confirmed coronavirus cases increases or decreases within a …

One cryptocurrency project is using Monero (XMR) to give undocumented immigrants a better shot at a fair treatment in the United States judicial system. The Bail Bloc project collects cryptocurrency to help people get out of pretrial incarceration for cases with the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Unlike conventional charities, Bail Bloc doesn’t want your money — it wants your computer processing power. Cointelegraph reached out to Bail Bloc co-creator Grayson Earle for deeper insight into the initiative. Detainees make bail with Monero Users download a special app that uses between 10% and 50% of their overall processor …

Huobi’s charity arm has announced an initiative to distribute aid to assist Indonesia’s fight against COVID-19. Huobi Charity will distribute aid in partnership with the Indonesia-China Association of Economic, Social and Cultural Cooperation (ICAESCC) to make monetary contributions, donate medical supplies, and leverage blockchain technology to assist healthcare organizations. Huobi launches coronavirus charity initiative in Indonesia To provide immediate relief, Huobi Charity will donate roughly $50,000 in Huobi Token (HT) to ICAESCC for the purchase of medical supplies for hospitals. Ciara Sun, Huobi Group’s vice president of global business, emphasized that the coronavirus pandemic is impacting “everyone in every corner …

The Stellar Development Foundation has committed up to 2.5 million Lumens to six non-profit organizations to help out during the coronavirus crisis — and they’re calling on the community to help. The SDF will kick the initiative off by donating 100,000 XLM each to six charities, with the remaining funds used to match community contributions on a one-to-one basis throughout April. Strong balance sheet SDF CEO Denelle Dixon told Cointelegraph the Foundation was lucky enough to be in a strong financial position to be able to help: “We're in the fortunate position of having stability during this time, we have …

With cases of the deadly coronavirus still popping up at an unprecedented rate around the world, many prominent members of the blockchain and crypto industries have heeded the global cry for help and have swiftly engaged in meaningful action — be it in terms of direct research-related participation, or through the donation of funds or resource materials, such as masks, sanitization equipment, etc. For example, as early as January, premier cryptocurrency exchange Binance had already donated $1.4 million worth of medical supplies to Chinese authorities in a massive effort to combat the devastating effects of the coronavirus. Dubbed as the …

Binance Charity has launched an initiative that seeks to raise $5 million in cryptocurrencies to purchase medical supplies for the countries that have been the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Binance will lead the #CryptoAgainstCOVID campaign with an initial donation of $1 million USD. The exchange has also pledged to match up to an additional $1 million in public donations. Binance Charity to publish all transactions made with donated funds The funds will be spent primarily on medical equipment and supplies that will be distributed throughout Italy, Germany, Spain, South Korea, Iran, Turkey, the United States, and the United …

The proliferation of cryptocurrency companies seeking to donate or raise funds for coronavirus relief efforts continues. Ethereum-based crowdfunding platform, Gitcoin, is advancing this trend by pledging at least $50,000 in development grants toward coronavirus-related initiatives. On March 14, Gitcoin tweeted that its fifth round of grants already has $50,000 committed toward “public health” initiatives. However, it is seeking to reach a minimum of $100,000, with the goal of distributing sufficient funds to multiple efforts. Gitcoin seeks $100,000 raise for public health projects The project has invited the public to refer relevant health projects to Gitcoin, noting that submissions will be …

The crypto community continues to help fight the coronavirus outbreak, with Binance Charity donating new batches of medical supplies to hospitals and disease control command centers. On March 9, Binance Charity announced the completion of the second phase of its philanthropic initiative dubbed “Binance for Wuhan,” wherein the company gave 6 new batches of medical supplies to 130 hospitals, medical teams and disease control command centers. The shipment included protective suits from Israel and the United Arab Emirates, oxygen machines, gloves and protective goggles. Crypto space stakeholders in the fight against coronavirus In February alone, an array of cryptocurrency- and …

Chinese startup FUZAMEI has rolled out a philanthropy-focused blockchain-based platform for tracking and managing data. Dubbed “33 Charity,” the platform is designed to boost the transparency and efficiency of businesses’ internal processes, including charitable organizations, according to a press release published on Feb. 7. The platform appears to be a shared network where organizations can register, store and manage information about individuals. Improving the social trust system Donors and recipients are able to make requests under their own names, while medical institutions can apply for certificates of authority through identity authentication agencies to obtain signatures. CA certificates contain information about …

Tron founder and CEO Justin Sun has finally had his charity lunch with Berkshire Hathaway chairman and famous billionaire Warren Buffett after a series of delays last year. On Jan. 23, Sun met with Buffett in a private not-for-profit country club in Nebraska, according to a press release shared with Cointelegraph on Feb. 6. The guests also included the founder of Litecoin Foundation, Charlie Lee, the CFO of Huobi, Chris Lee, the head of the Binance Charity Foundation, Helen Hai, and the CEO of eToro, Yoni Assia. Commenting on the much-anticipated event, Sun said: “It was really an honor and …

Hyperchain’s Feb. 4 press release announced the launch of its blockchain-based platform to fight against the coronavirus epidemic. It will serve as a medical supply donations portal to support hospitals in central China. The recent outbreak of coronavirus has killed more than 400 people in mainland China. The entire country and Chinese citizens overseas have been mobilized to donate. But doctors are still not getting enough crucial medical supplies. Red Cross China has come under fire for failing at delivering the urgent supplies to the front line hospitals. Together with Fuxing Group, Xiongan Group and other well-known enterprises, Hyperchain has …