The war in Ukraine is the first major conflict of the crypto era, and, as it happens, Ukraine itself is a cryptocurrency capital.
Key points:
- Ukraine has the highest uptake of crypto in Europe
- Government IT staff are being drafted as hackers and millions in crypto donations from around the world are paying for military equipment
- New kinds of blockchain-based organisations are coordinating aid in a way that hasn’t been seen before
What was a tool of economic growth in peacetime has now, with war, become another weapon in the fight.
Millions donated to the Ukrainian war effort through anonymous bitcoin donations have been spent on thermal imagers, drones and other military equipment needed for the Ukrainian army.
Charity and relief efforts are being contributed through decentralised autonomous organisations (known as DAOs — more on them later) that also link volunteers around the world with the people in need.
The government department that had been in charge of attracting crypto industries is now tasked with keeping the country online, warning citizens of air raids and missiles,…
