RAIRtech Launches NFT Collection to Raise $1.3 Mn for Ukraine

#UkraineGlitch generative NFTs support Ukrainian developers and medical aid on-chain

NFT platform RAIRtech today announced a special edition of NFTs called “UkraineGlitch,” which seeks to raise $1.3 million to help Ukrainian people in need of medical supplies.

All funds from the generative drop will be split between the Ukrainian American Coordinating Council (UACC) and the Web3 Developer fund, benefiting Ukrainian web3 developers in Ukraine, RAIRtech stated..

The project features a glitched image of the Ukrainian flag with yellow and blue pixelated ‘bullet holes’ sprinkled in the background to represent the flag under duress..

The limited-run 1991 NFT collection represents the year that Ukrainians overwhelmingly voted for the Ukrainian independence referendum. The collection is hosted on the Ethereum mainnet with each piece priced at 0.1991 ETH (~$600 USD).

“Generating these pieces was quite cathartic- and at times had me on the floor crying. What seemed like impersonal images based on squares and randomness became a map for the energetic transposition from negative to positive. The tweaking of algorithms eventually led to the perfect balance of chaos and distressed symbolism,” said Masha Mitkov, Fullstack Project Manager at RAIRtech.

“My family emigrated from Ukraine to the US in the early 90's with refugee status. When war broke out over Crimea in 2014, my father started a direct supply chain distribution of high-quality medical supplies directly to the Ukrainian militia. Since his passing in November of 2020, and the onset of a new War in 2022, people have been reaching out to find ways to have access to these products again. Now the Ukrainian Coordinating Council and others have taken over what my father started. I realized I had a unique position in connecting people who needed help and those that wanted to help."

With every UkraineGlitch purchased, the number of pixels swapped from yellow to blue increases, eventually inverting or turning the flag upside down. Some pieces are animated to show parts of this progression, while others are still. Only UkraineGlitch NFT holders can watch the full animation of the flag transformation on the launch page.

“RAIRtech has long enjoyed working with skilled Ukrainian web3 developers. We worked with several different firms and developers to create our front and back ends,” said Ed Prado, CEO of RAIRtech. “Since the war began, we found the best way to provide help to our Ukrainian friends was to send crypto. We now want to expand and open up this support effort - this is where UkraineGlitch comes in,” he added.

The Ukrainian American Coordinating Council specializes in supplying medical supplies, particularly technologically advanced blood-clotting gauze bandages. The UACC matches supplies with hospitals and transports goods directly to them. The Web3 Developer Fund gives out small grants on a rapid as-needed basis to Ukrainian developers to help them relocate and purchase food and supplies.

UN Refugee Agency Accepts 1st Stablecoin Crypto Donation of $2.5 Mn from Binance Charity to Support Ukraine Efforts

USA for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, accepts its first stablecoin crypto donation towards the organization’s humanitarian support for families forced to flee Ukraine to neighboring countries. The $2.5 million USD equivalent from Binance through Binance Charity. The BUSD donation is further demonstration of how cryptocurrency is playing a key role in raising vital funds and providing humanitarian aid for the crisis in Ukraine.

Stablecoins bridge the world of cryptocurrency and fiat currency together as their prices are tied to a reserve asset like the US dollar or gold.

The donation will go towards providing humanitarian, legal and social assistance including psychosocial support and emergency shelter to people in need. More than 10 million people have already been displaced due to the crisis. Four million people have found safety in neighbouring countries like Poland, Moldova, Romania and Hungary, while millions more have been forced from their homes but remain inside Ukraine.

“Binance Charity’s commitment to the families fleeing the war in Ukraine shows the innovative philanthropic power of crypto in action,” said Anne-Marie Grey, Executive Director and CEO of USA for UNHCR. “This generous support will make a life-changing difference for families forced to flee, and more importantly, it shows families that a caring and committed global community is stepping forward to help during their darkest times.”

Helen Hai, Head of Binance Charity, said: “Every day we see more casualties, more destruction, more lives lost. Our hearts ache for the people of Ukraine. We are proud that we’ve been able to work with UNHCR to deliver its first BUSD crypto donation. UNHCR’s tireless efforts and second-to-none experience in assisting refugees, makes them an obvious choice to support as part of our $10 million USD in crypto donations."

As the war in Ukraine continues, the needs of of those fleeing grow. Binance Charity’s donation comes at an important time as UNHCR continues working with government authorities in the region, other UN agencies, local community groups and other partners to provide humanitarian assistance wherever possible.

UNHCR delivers assistance to communities inside Ukraine when it is safe to do so and is closely tracking negotiations for safe passage. UNHCR is providing cash assistance so families can purchase basics like food, rent and hygiene items and also delivering core relief items and emergency shelter. Additionally, teams inside Ukraine are setting up reception and transit points for internally displaced people and facilitating access to legal aid and psychosocial care.

In neighbouring countries, UNHCR continues to work with national authorities to provide cash assistance, strengthen reception capacity and implement Blue Dots — children and family protection support hubs — in collaboration with UNICEF and other partners.

Outside of Ukraine, UNHCR continues to work with national authorities in neighboring countries to strengthen reception capacity and implement Blue Dots — children and family protection support hubs — in collaboration with UNICEF and other partners.

This is the latest donation following Binance’s $10 million USD commitment to help people impacted by the crisis in Ukraine. Through Binance Charity, more than $4.5 million has already been donated, bringing the total amount to $7 million including the funding to USA for UNHCR. The remaining $3 million USD donation is being finalized and will be announced shortly.

In addition to the $10 million USD commitment, Binance Charity launched a crowd-funding platform, which has raised approximately $900K USD from the crypto community. This money will also be allocated to humanitarian efforts.

Breakdown of donations from Binance through Binance Charity to date:

• $2.5 million USD to UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency: We’re supporting UNHCR to help affected people in the region by providing humanitarian, legal and social assistance including psychosocial support and emergency shelter to people in need.
• $2.5 million USD to UNICEF: towards the needs of children and their families who have been forced to flee Ukraine; current actions include pre-positioning of critical supplies, providing safe drinking water, supporting families on the move, child protection, emergency educational resources and psychosocial support.
• $1 million USD to People in Need (PIN): towards direct assistance to refugees in Slovakia and those displaced in Ukraine. PIN is operating at 3 border points across Slovakia. The type of humanitarian aid provided ranges from food, NFI, WASH, shelters, PSS, and cash assistance. They are also helping to coordinate border crossings and disseminate information via hotlines, leaflets and QR codes for people who have just arrived. PIN is also standing by ready to resume operations in-country as soon as the situation allows, this will focus on providing access to the most basic needs such as food aid, hygiene items, cash assistance and support of IDP facilities.
• $500 thousand USD to iSans: towards providing temporary housing and resettlement assistance to Ukrainian refugees entering Poland. This includes providing meals, help with transportation costs, heating and psychological and legal support.
• $250 thousand USD to Rotary Kyiv: towards helping people displaced within Ukraine. Rotary are one of a few organizations still able to provide support in-country, with this donation going towards sleeping bags, mattresses, warm blankets, first aid kits and food supplies.