Ukrainian government launches crypto donation website with FTX, Kuna and Everstake

Crypto exchanges FTX and Kuna and staking platform Everstake have partnered with Ukrainian government officials to launch a donation website for users wishing to send crypto to help the country and its people.

In a Monday announcement, Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation said the government had launched Aid for Ukraine, a platform that accepts donations in Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), Tether (USDT), Polkadot (DOT), Solana (SOL), Dogecoin (DOGE), Monero (XMR), Icon (ICX), and Neo (NEO) “to support people in their fight for freedom.” Many parts of the country have been under attack by Russia’s military since Feb. 24.

According to the website, users have sent more than $48 million in crypto at the time of publication, roughly 24% of the platform’s $200 million goal. The funds will be sent to the National Bank of Ukraine and used for “ammunition and necessities” to support the country’s armed forces and humanitarian aid programs. Fiat donations to Ukraine’s central bank in various currencies are also accepted.

“Aid For Ukraine shows how the global crypto community and the traditional financial system can work together,” said Solana Labs co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko. “Crypto donations to the DAO are stored and governed on-chain, then transferred to FTX, a centralized exchange, to be sold for fiat USD sent via SWIFT to the Ukrainian government.”

Crypto proved to be a real life saver thanks to its ease of use. We at @mintsyfra made crypto donations even easier. Together with @everstake_pool and @FTX_Official we announce https://t.co/8LsgXj0HSB — a website where you can donate crypto to save Ukraine.

— Alex Bornyakov (@abornyakov) March 14, 2022

The platform consolidated the list of wallet addresses previously provided by the Ukrainian government using its Twitter account. However, since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, some crypto firms have also announced they would be donating to Ukraine. Kraken pledged to distribute $1,000 to each user who created an account in the country before March 9, while the Bored Ape Yacht Club said it would match a $1 million donation in ETH.

Related: Ally or suspect? The war in Ukraine as a stress test for the crypto industry

Cointelegraph reported that as of March 9, various organizations and government-run wallets have received more than $108 million towards helping Ukraine. The funds intended for Ukrainians come amid Russia facing economic stress due to sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union. Many private businesses including major banking firm Goldman Sachs, Visa and Mastercard have all cut ties with the country in the last two weeks.

Cointelegraph reached out to FTX, but did not receive a response at the time of publication.