The coronavirus has brought out the best and the worst in humanity during its time wreaking havoc on the world, the best of which has seen people from all walks of life giving up time, money and experience to help those in need. This includes charities, many of which of course now accept Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
Here we run down how you can put your Bitcoin to good use by helping those suffering from coronavirus and its impacts, as well as operations to watch out for.
Red Cross
The Italian Red Cross has announced that it is accepting donations in Bitcoin to help the fight against coronavirus. Having already successfully raised €10,000 to go towards a Second Level Advanced Medical Post for pre-triage of COVID-19 cases, it is now aiming to raise funds for accessories necessary for emergency operations.
The organization is targeting $27,000 (₿5.55), and has already received 51% of this through Bitcoin donations. You can donate to this project here.
The Dutch Red Cross hasn’t announced anything specific to coronavirus yet, but given their stated aim to “prevent and alleviate human suffering wherever it may be found”, it likely won’t be long until they are called into action.
You can donate Bitcoin to the Dutch Red Cross here.
Fidelity Charitable
For those with slightly deeper pockets, Fidelity Charitable is taking donations of at least $5,000 to help the Center for Disaster Philanthropy care for US coronavirus sufferers by contributing towards immediate medical needs, including “supplies, such as surgical masks, isolation gowns, and other protective equipment.”
Fidelity Charitable will also help with “coordinating additional staff and specialists to support local medical personnel, specialized medical equipment, and portable clinics required for isolation, screening and treatment.”
Fidelity Charitable accepts Bitcoin and XRP donations, and you can find out more about their coronavirus operations and start donating here.
CoroHope
CoroHope is a crowdsourcing effort to help find a coronavirus vaccine through Bitcoin donations. The ‘biohacking’ group talks a good talk, like bypassing regulatory bodies and thus speeding up the release time of the vaccine, but they have so far remained anonymous, and there is no guarantee that anything will come of the operation.
Even if a ‘vaccine’ were produced, without passing regulatory checks there is no knowing what dangers could lurk within it. While it may turn out to be legitimate, there are at present too many unknowns about this project for us to recommend it, but you can find out more about it here.
Beware of Scams!
Of course, as usual, there are those who are taking advantage of misfortune to enrich themselves illegally. One such group has sought to elicit Bitcoin donations for a supposed coronavirus vaccine by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
This is an outright scam, and should be avoided at all costs.
To donate safely, BitStarz News recommends only donating to recognized and registered charities such as the Red Cross and Fidelity Charity. If you don’t recognize the name of the body eliciting donations from you, research them thoroughly online first to gauge their legitimacy, and don’t send money to anyone who you don’t trust 100%.
