Eurovision-winning group Kalush Orchestra raised $ 900,000 by auctioning off the music contest trophy and sent the money to a foundation backing Ukraine in the middle of the war with Russia.
The winning bid was from the WhiteBit cryptocurrency exchange and was in the form of 500 ether (ETH). In addition to the physical microphone, the winning band also received a non-fungible (or NFT) testimonial of the trophy.
“You’re too much. Thank you to everyone who gave this auction and special thanks to the WhiteBit team who bought the trophy for $ 900,000 and are now the new owners of our trophy.”
The newly opened NFT Museum “Meta History: Museum of War” in Ukraine, which held the auction on its platform, described the auction as “a victory” for both Ukraine and the crypto world.
yesterday @WhiteBit simultaneously broke two Ukrainian records having placed the biggest bet of 500 ETH on the Eurovision trophy on our platform.
It’s a victory for Ukraine and the world of cryptocurrencies too!
Follow us, it’s just the beginning 🇺🇦💪 pic.twitter.com/aV2KALPQnC
– Meta History: Museum of War (@Meta_History_UA) May 30, 2022
Participants in the auction had the option to bid in both cryptocurrency and fiat currency: the Ukrainian virtual bank Monobank made bids in fiat currency.
An additional $ 370,000 was raised in fiduciary currency by auctioning off the pink cap that Oleh Psiuk, lead singer of the Kalush Orchestra, wore during the performance of his song “Stefania” in Turin, Italy.
According to the band, the money raised from the auction will be redirected to the purchase of three drones and a control center for the needs of the Ukrainian forces for the charity of Serhiy Prytula, a popular Ukrainian television presenter.
# StefaniaForUkraine results: $ 1.2 million in total
📌11 m ₴ for the hat draw. 31,088 people from 56 countries. The hat goes to Volodymyr from Dolní Břežany, Czech Republic.
The largest donation in traditional money: 800 64,800
📌900k $ (500ETH) – thanks @WhiteBit for the offer💪 pic.twitter.com/Qxct7C0c7r
– Serhiy Prytula (@serhiyprytula) May 29, 2022
Millions in cryptocurrencies
Ukraine resorted to cryptocurrency donations immediately after Russia invaded the country in late February, raising $ 63.8 million on March 11, according to forensic blockchain firm Elliptic.
There were more than 120,000 contributions, including a $ 5.8 million donation from Polkadot founder Gavin Wood, and a single $ 1.86 million transaction linked to the proceeds from the sale of the collection. ” Censored “by NFT, created by Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks. , and digital artist Pak.
Another major donation came in the form of CryptoPunk # 5,364, worth more than $ 200,000.
The $ 63.8 million mentioned by Elliptic may have been a conservative estimate, as Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation Alex Bornyakov had suggested that the total amount of cryptocurrencies donated was “about $ 100 million.”
Ukraine plans to carry out more aid initiatives with cryptocurrencies
The cryptocurrency donations Ukraine is receiving may have helped the country’s fight against Russia, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said the country needs more financial help to cover a monthly budget deficit of about $ 5 billion.
Recently, Everstake, the Ukrainian equity provider, which also supports the fund “The Aid for Ukraine,” released a rap video called “Invest in Peace, Bro.”, Urging the crypto community to continue to support it.
Last week, Mykhailo Fedorov, Prime Minister of Ukraine, presented the video during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Here is the Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine @FedorovMykhailo presenting a short version of our rap video at @wef (@Davos). We will continue our efforts to bring together the global cryptographic community in support of Ukraine. Invest in peace brother! pic.twitter.com/YzkpU8j7gS
– Help for Ukraine 🇺🇦 (@_AidForUkraine) May 24, 2022
“Peace has a price, but the first wave of donations has slowed. Cryptocurrencies are free of bureaucracy, making them the most efficient way to provide help quickly. ” Tech.eu.
According to Vasylcjuk, “every cryptographic contribution, small or large, is another point against totalitarianism.”
Meanwhile, Obolon, Ukraine’s largest independent beer brand, announced the sale of an NFT collection called “Brewing NFTs for Water” to help distribute free water to war-affected communities.
We love to see how @MilaKunisv i @aplusk # StandWithUkraine@ObolonUkraine it also helps with the daily delivery of pure water. This project will allow us to send water to all remote villages 🇺🇦💧
join #BrewingNFTsForWater at https://t.co/pldpg41f4R#War Ukrainian War #Nfts
– Obolon NFT (@obolonNFT) May 22, 2022
Each NFT will provide hundreds of gallons of clean water to people who need it. Part of the proceeds will also be donated to the Come Back Alive Foundation, another Ukrainian organization involved in fundraising.
Obolon plans to sell 5,000 NFTs for 0.1 ETH (about $ 194), which can be exchanged for a bottle of commemorative beer when the war is over.
* Translated by Daniela Pereira do Nascimento with permission from decrypt.co.