Did you know that over 80% of Millennial millionaires report investing in cryptocurrencies? There’s no question that crypto is helping to fuel the emergence of a new generation of philanthropists that is young, generous and passionate about the causes they believe in.
As a result, cryptocurrency donations, and the number of charitable organizations accepting them, have increased in recent years.
Perhaps due in part to the global COVID-19 pandemic, nonprofits that support health and medicine have received significant attention and support from the crypto community. Some of these donors aren’t just making notable gifts; they are also notable figures in the crypto industry.
Vitalik Buterin: Ethereum Co-Founder, Ambassador for Crypto Philanthropy
Vitalik Buterin is the co-founder of one of the world’s most important and popular blockchains, Ethereum. At 28 years old, he has already established a notable track record as a philanthropist, having donated to several scientific research and global health causes.
His passion for making a difference runs deep. Back in 2018, he tweeted that the crypto community needs to “differentiate between getting hundreds of billions of dollars of digital paper wealth sloshing around and actually achieving something meaningful for society.”
Vitalik made headlines for his charitable giving in 2021 when he donated $1 billion worth of SHIB coins to a COVID-19 relief fund in India.
Vitalik’s Donation to Fund “The Next Great Public Health Revolution”
Continuing his philanthropy, Vitalik made another large charitable donation worth $9.4M to the University of Maryland this fall. The purpose of the donation was to fund a research initiative that supports the School of Public Health’s research into germicidal ultraviolet light. This research, which the lab’s project lead discussed in The New York Times, could one day help prevent the spread of future pandemics.
Notably, Vitalik’s made the donation in USDC, a leading stablecoin and one of the most popular crypto assets to donate. The University was able to accept donations in USDC through its use of The Giving Block’s crypto fundraising platform.
The cryptocurrency gift was called “the largest of its kind to UMD and among the largest crypto donations ever given to a U.S. university.”
> Read more about the generous donation in UMD’s official press statement.
Be a Crypto Hero and Support Medical Care or Research
It’s not only Vitalik who has taken initiative to support charities that save lives and fund breakthroughs in public health. In June of 2022, for example, American Cancer Society hit their target of $1M in cryptocurrency donations for its Crypto Cancer Fund—the first cancer fund supported entirely by cryptocurrency donors.
Today, thousands of nonprofit organizations accept Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDC, and other cryptocurrencies through The Giving Block. Search for your favorite nonprofit and make a difference today.
