Blockchain-driven technology is changing the world; from displacing traditional finance to radically improving supply chain transparency, the industries and processes of the future look brighter. Another less-considered beneficiary is the charity or nonprofit space–those organizations that fill the vital gap between government support and community need. 

Since the first reported gift in 2017–5057 Bitcoin from Pine–crypto and NFT donations have soared, highlighting the potential for a new type of philanthropy and philanthropist. Unlike traditional gifting, large crypto donations often come anonymously, with groups favoring impact alone vs. impact-and-publicity. 

Here, we take a look at five of the largest gifts. 

1. Buterin’s Billions 

   1. 50 Trillion SHIB to the India Covid Relief Fund ($1B) 

   2. 50 Trillion in AKITA to Gitcoin ($374M)

   3. 432 Trillion in ELON to Methuselah Foundation ($231M)

2. 5057 BTC to various nonprofits via Pineapple Fund ($55M) 

3. 2250 ETH from the UkraineDAO to the Come Back Alive Fund ($6.75M)

4. 525.79 BTC from an anonymous donor to the Wharton School at UPenn ($5M) 

5. 1188.226 ETH from an anonymous Art Blocks artists to Médecins Sans Frontières Australia ($3.5M) 

#1 Buterin Lets the Dogs Out 

In the space of 49 minutes and 26 seconds, Vitalik Buterin donated trillions of SHIB, AKITA, and ELON to delight the nonprofit space like never before. His contributions dwarf any gift of crypto ever recorded. 

$1B for India Covid Relief Fund 

On April 24, 2021, Polygon co-founder Sandeep Nailwal asked for help. Covid had overrun India, and the official response had been underwhelming. Nailwal tweeted their ETH address and a rallying call to the ‘global crypto community.’ Vitalik Buterin stepped up to the plate. 

After receiving trillions of unsolicited Shibu Inu, Buterin opted to burn 90% and donate the rest. Nailwal’s plea was answered–the CryptoRelief fund received $931,193,533.78, the single largest crypto donation ever made. 

CryptoRelief has since used the funds across India, working with government and aid organizations to provide food, health, education, and life-saving infrastructure for some of the world's poorest citizens. You can read about their efforts here: What Happened to the SHIB Donation (CryptoRelief).

But the donation didn’t stop there. This year, CryptoRelief returned 100M USDC to Buterin to help accelerate ‘high risk/reward projects’ in medicine and biotechnology. 

50,693,552,078,053 AKITA to build the future of the Open Web 

Despite the press’ focus on CryptoRelief, Buterin’s first gift on May 12 was actually to Gitcoin with its mission “to build an internet that is open source, collaborative, and economically empowering.” Gitcoin–though not strictly a nonprofit–received Akita Inu (AKITA), equalling around $374M. 

But the gift stirred a revolt in the Akita community, who considered forking Gitcoin to deem its holdings worthless. Gitcoin changed its initial plan of selling the Akita for USDC, deciding instead to collaborate with the community. You can read the first Akita proposal here and the ultimate outcome here. 

Four Hundred Trillion ELONs to Live Forever 

On the same day (yes, incredible, I know), VB sent 432T Dogelon Mars (ELON) ($231M) to the Methuselah Foundation to extend human life by 2030. Simultaneously, the gift turned Methuselah into ELON’s single largest holder.

The Foundation has since described ELON as a Mission Token and developed a deeply collaborative relationship with its developers and the wider community. In October 2021, Dogelon Mars Community voted to work with NASA’s Vascular Tissue Challenge and send their experiment to the proverbial moon. 

#2 Crypto’s First Mega-Donor: Pine 

Pine’s efforts are well documented. In 2017, an anonymous Redditor promised to donate 5057 BTC, around $55M, to various charities worldwide. He created an open application process and funded missions big and small. 

Pine split the funds across 60 organizations, including Methuselah Foundation and GiveDirectly, who are now leading advocates in the crypto-philanthropy community. GiveDirectly has since received the proceeds of Jack Dorsey’s genesis tweet NFT, and its CEO penned an op-ed in CoinDesk last year–Crypto-Philanthropy Is Here. What Will It Do?

#3 Waving the Digital Flag–$6M from an NFT to Support Ukraine 

To fundraise for the war, a group called the UkraineDAO created and auctioned an NFT of the Ukrainian flag. The winning bid was shared by 3,271 donors who coordinated through PartyBid, where you can “form a party, join forces, and buy NFTs as a team.” The concept itself isn’t entirely new: walk-a-thons, galas, and bake sales all harness the power of community to make an outsized contribution. Here, donors swapped muffins for ETH. Far less tasty, though, perhaps, more impactful. 

The recipient, Come Back Alive Fund, has embraced crypto’s ethos of transparency and accountability–providing a full breakdown of gifts for public view. Together with other donations, they’ve helped funnel $100M to Ukraine’s military efforts. 

#4 Supporting Innovation and the Next Generation of Blockchain Entrepreneurs at UPenn 

On the 20th of May, 2021, the University of Pennsylvania accepted its largest ever crypto gift: 525 BTC from an anonymous donor ($5M). By that October, it was the first Ivy League school where students could pay for tuition in crypto, and its Wharton School of Business released a brand new course: Economics of Blockchain and Digital Assets. 

The initiating donor requested the university keep their name private, and instead, the focus has been on the outcomes. In May this year, Crypto.com followed suit and donated to support the school’s Crypto Research Lab. 

#5 “Game-changing” Funding for Emergency Medical Aid 

In their recent Charity on Chain Update, Art Blocks announced they’ve now helped facilitate $48M in donations via their platform since May 2021. That same October, an anonymous Dutch artist gave up 25% of their proceeds to Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders for a single donation of $3.5M, marking the largest NFT gift recorded. 

MSF’s Australian Head, Jennifer Tierney, captured the audience perfectly, comparing crypto-donors to gamers … 

“They’re both really enthusiastic online, irreverent, and innovative.’’

Where from here?

As far as we’re concerned, this is just the beginning. You’ll notice many of these donations reference one or two of the other groups also doing this work (helping people donate crypto to charity). 

And while we’re glad to have so many in the space, we’re also confident that we offer more for less than anyone else, and we’re excited that folks are starting to take notice.