Ukraine: The sliver lining of the ongoing war is the worldwide response to Ukrainians, says Kurt Ivy.
In spite of the massive love and support, Ukraine’s cities are still under the bombardment of Russian forces. The continuous destruction of cities and key infrastructure calls for as much help as possible.
Though Putin is determined to satisfy his demands, Ukrainians have received support in terms of arms and financial donations made possible by cryptocurrency. People worry that Putin might be using cryptocurrency as a shield against economic sanctions. However, it appears that Ukraine is benefiting way more.
To avoid a possible WW3 by giving military support, support in terms of supplies and money seems to be the best way that the people of the world can get involved. Many of the surrounding countries are more than prepared to help, but can’t do it for free. Providing these funds ensures that resources don’t dry up in the neighboring areas. And cryptocurrency is safe, fast, and effective compared to other means of transferring value to their country. Anyone can participate and there is far more transparency in the transactions.
TLDR: Here is a list of humanitarian aid options.
The Role of NFTs in Ukraine’s Invasion
Apart from the destruction of important infrastructure, Ukraine was faced with several other problems that only money could solve. Unfortunately, their financial system was damaged because of the invasion. And so, NFTs quickly became a popular way to provide funds for Ukrainians at war. Ukrainian developers initiated UkraineDAO, which is an NFT of their flag with the specific purpose of raising capital for funding the evacuation of vulnerable refugees. The capital raised was also to be used for rebuilding structures that Russian soldiers had destroyed.
To relocate artists living in the most dangerous zones with their families, the digitization of their artworks was among their first drops. Meanwhile, several collaborations will take place with more artists worldwide. The primary aim is to develop a global community that is able to funnel resources where they are needed most over a sustained period of time. A quick burst of supplies is great, but those can be used very quickly. The circulation of goods cannot stop.
There are over 100 NFT collections dedicated to funding Ukrainians who are at war on their own soil. Meanwhile, developers are currently working on digitizing some artworks that were already lying around. Below are some of the most popular projects solely dedicated to funding the Ukrainian military.
Ukraine MKMRE
One of the most interesting projects is Ukraine MKMRE started by the AI Foundation. MKMRE stands for “Medical Kits and Meals Ready-to-Eat.” This project combines former state department officials, tech entrepreneurs, and ex-military members who were able to mobilize quickly following the recent Afghan refugee situation. When the Afghan citizens needed help, Ukraine was one of the few to lend a hand. Now those same Ukrainians are receiving the exact same help, as well as some of the Afghans that had been recently displaced.
With a supply chain network and logistics containing over $20m in supplies available to them for purchase, the MKMRE team on the ground in Ukraine and Poland simply needs to raise funds to inject medical kits and meal rations directly where they are needed most.
Some notable supporters are Tim Draper, an investor, and also part of the founding team of Oculus, including technical co-founder Micheal Antonov. Former astronaut Terry Verts also got involved as a core team member, helping to build connections, raise funds, and connect the dots for the organization. Another key member of the team is Sophia Mahfooz who was in fact born in Afghanistan and became a refugee for eight years. She knows full well what will happen if Ukrainians aren’t integrated into new lives and are instead left in camps for up to two decades. The MKMRE team will do what they can to obtain visas and housing for the refugees as well.
Their NFT collection facilitated by TokenSociety is part of a public fundraising effort following a $500K raise. Their goal is to continue to $1M and beyond.
#WithUkraine
Another project with real people lending real hands is the team behind Altar who also have a personal connection with the war, as some of their immediate family members are trapped in the country, and they are trying their best to get them out. A network of Ukrainian engineers and artists are collaborating to sell NFTs for fundraising and to build the “Meta-Museum of Ukrainian Glory.” This meta-museum was created so that Russians who do not support the war and people from all over the world can come together and speak freely and openly about their thoughts on the war.
This video was recorded by the team behind Altar Metaverse. It shows the current situation in Ukraine, and how their lives have been completely changed. The video also provides proof of two things: the good work that the soldiers are doing, and the results of the funds donated to the cause.
Ukraine DAO
Ukraine’s Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) is an NFT collection on the Ethereum blockchain (ETH). Nadya Toloknnikova created this in conjunction with PleasrDAO members and Tippy Labs. Together, they raised a sum of 2,188 ETH, which translates to $5.5M. The sale took place at a public auction where people could engage in a joint bid to own the Ukrainian flag NFTs. All the participants were given ERC tokens, but they varied with each donation. Some got ERC-20 tokens, and some got more. However, the most important part of the auction is to raise money, which will go directly to the pockets of humanitarian NGOs in Ukraine.
Waone Interesni Kazki
Wayne Intersni Kazki is a collection that shows different perspectives through people’s eyes and minds. The artists created this NFT to raise funds for Ukraine. Wayne Interesni Kazki NFT is set to donate 50% of the art to Ukrainian causes.
Holy Water
This NFT collection of artworks owned mainly by Ukrainians. It was an initiative to create funds that would be useful for the Ukrainians in the ongoing war. The proceeds from these NFTs are given to the Ukraine Ministry of Digital transformation. Bohdan Nevis, the CEO of Holy Water, is focused on making at least $1M from NFTs sales. Each artwork will be sold for 0.08ETH+gas. After it is sold out, the artworks will be displayed on the OpenSea. Right now, Holy water has close to 1000 artists.
Other Projects to Look Into
Many Ukraine sympathizers are coming up with initiatives to raise funds for the Ukrainians. OpenSea, for instance, is an open market that is currently accommodating several artworks to raise funds. Other NFTs supporting Ukraine wholly or partially are:
- Machine
- Midnight
- Mistersoul216
- Pitler or Hutin
- Kyiv Commanding Presence
- Kyiv Oblast
The Future of Cryptocurrency and Humanitarian Aid
As painful as war can be, it is also an opportunity for new technology to shine. There is no doubt that cryptocurrency has suddenly become responsible for saving many lives. Perhaps in another time, human ingenuity would have pulled through regardless of physical barriers. But in a time of luxury and convenience, people need to be able to mobilize and distribute support worldwide at a moment’s notice. We can only hope that next time, it won’t be war that this technology deters, but disease, starvation, and homelessness. While Ukraine should remain our primary focus until the event and the aftermath are managed, there are many other communities that need just as much help.
Crypto gives us, not only a method to spread wealth, but to spread governance and power. It enables communities, communication, and sovereignty like never before. Had Ukraine incorporated cryptocurrency deep into its fundamental infrastructure, there would have been no way for them to ever have been cut off from the funding that they needed to help them survive and succeed. Of course, this is not an offense towards them.
Community-specific tokens and DAOs will go a long way in the future towards bolstering vulnerable populations and protecting their wealth and prosperity in the long term.
About the author
Kurt Ivy is a content writer for SHOPX and Gamerse, marketing advisor for Altar, head of content at Crypto PR Labs, and CEO of Coffee Nova. Ivy is a philosopher, futurist, writer, and entrepreneur.
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