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As genuine support crosses national borders and reaches Ukraine via the metaverse, NFTs are demonstrating humanity’s better side. People from all around the world are donating to Ukraine via NFT sales in light of the ongoing military situation, since artists and activists prefer them to traditional fundraising methods.
NFT Sales Raise Millions in Donations for Ukraine
NFTs seem to be taking over the world lately, with more and more types of communities being involved every day. Everyone is rushing in to follow the trend, from prominent visual artists to worldwide fashion corporations, and from video game developers to famous rappers. Armed combat between nations, actual war, is one facet of human life that no one expected to be brought into the NFT phenomenon in 2022, but here we are.
NFTs were utilised to generate donations for supporting refugees and other causes shortly after the start of hostilities in Ukraine and the innumerable human tragedies that followed. UkraineDAO is the most notable case thus far, having crowdfunded 2,100 ETH by the 2nd of March, a total value of over $6 million at the time. Nadya Tolokonnikova, a Russian artist, activist, and member of the anarchist feminist punk rock band Pussy Riot, organised the event.
Contributors will acquire fractionalized ownership of one Ukrainian flag NFT in the form of $love tokens, rather than individual works of art. “Initially, there was the thought of artists designing anything,” the UkraineDAO team noted, “but that idea rapidly altered when the group determined the NFT should be a symbol of the Ukrainian people rather than centred on a certain artist or aesthetic.” However, we fully support other organisations auctioning off artists’ work to raise funds for Ukraine.”
Olive Allen is another well-known example of a Russian artist using NFTs to help people in need in Ukraine. She even burnt her Russian passport to express her support, stating: “I’m a Russian artist and in solidarity with the Ukrainian people I burned my Russian passport to create the NFT ‘Passport Burning.’ All the NFT sale proceeds will be donated to SavetheChildren Ukraine Fund.”
The RELI3F.xyz NFT sale, which raised 699 ETH, worth over $1.7 million, according to data on OpenSea, is the second largest case in terms of monetary value so far. RELI3F is a humanitarian aid organisation formed by NFT musicians to help the people of Ukraine. “In a moment of crisis, web3 allows us to collaborate with artists and collectors to get cash to where they’re needed most.” “We can provide complete transparency because of the blockchain,” the RELI3F team claimed.
In addition to new purchases, existing NFT communities have stepped forward to show their support for the Ukrainian people. On March 8, the Bored Ape Yacht Club team delivered $1 million in ETH to the official wallet of the Ukrainian government, matching the $1 million in donations made by individual community members. Aside from the $2 million in ETH, someone also sent a $200, 000 Bored Ape. Even NFT funds that were established to promote other causes appear to have contributed to Ukraine. The proceeds of the AssangeDao NFT sale – which was designed to support the detained Wikileaks founder and activist Julian Assange – were used to make a gift worth over $1.8 million, according to Blockchain analytics firm Elliptic.
There are numerous fresh sales that are just getting started for anyone looking for an NFT to express their support for the people of Ukraine, but they must be wary of scammers.
Ukraine’s Angels is an example of a new charity NFT sale. ElephantsLab, a Ukrainian blockchain research, consultancy, and software development firm, generated this collection. ElephantsLab is based in Vinnytsia, Ukraine, which has become a refugee hub for those escaping the disaster in other Ukrainian cities. When the war broke out, the crew used what they knew best to help collect finances for those in their country who needed it the most. BSC accepts donations of any level, and if you donate 0.25 BNB or more, you will receive your own unique NFT as an Angel of Ukraine.
The mission statement of Ukraine’s Angels reads: “This is the world’s crypto family’s contribution to #StopTheWar. Buying an NFT from this collection, you save lives. Your financial aid will help sustain those who need it most: the injured, the refugees, and all other Ukrainians affected…Once the hostilities are quenched, the donations will then be used to rebuild the vital infrastructure: roads, bridges, hospitals, educational facilities, etc…”
Another new NFT sale is #ActLikeZelensky on Foundation.app, which is a limited-edition art collection with only 100 pieces. Each item is a one-of-a-kind piece of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko’s 3D art. “We raise money to provide much-needed protective non-lethal equipment and humanitarian aid to Ukrainians on the frontlines,” says the project’s team, Shields Ukraine. Proceeds from the NFT sale will be used to purchase helmets, bulletproof vests, thermal imagers, flashlights, and radios for Ukrainians.
