Recently, there are rising protests worldwide, and all of them get aligned against powerful bodies and ingrained politicians. These entrenched bodies may control domestic centralized financial institutions and eliminate dissidents’ power, especially in protests that require donations. When payment systems that get established to support protestors and dissidents get censored, crypto adoption is the best option to give their donations in such cases.
The use of cryptocurrency is essential since it is decentralized, and people utilizing it can uphold their privacy in the face of political repression. Here are examples of recent protests that are contributing to cryptocurrency adoption.
The Nigerian Feminist Coalition Accepts Donations in BTC
An organization of Nigerian activists, known as the Feminist Coalition, is accepting their donations in bitcoin. The Feminist Coalition is leading the EndSARS movement, committed to fighting police brutality in Nigeria.
Recently, the Feminist Coalition reported about the shut down of its bank account. Additionally, their donation link that was provided by Flutterwave, which is a centralized payment processor, also got terminated. The move of accepting donations through bitcoin enables the Feminist Coalition to uphold resilience from the censorship of centralized payment systems. It also allows donors to decide the level of privacy they need when donating.
Hong Kong Press and BYSOL Organization’s Crypto Adoption
The Hong Kong Free Press, an English-level media organization that supports pro-democracy, also uses BTCpay to accept bitcoin donations. Following the new Hong Kong’s national security law, the English-level media might get denied access to the financial resources required to operate. Their decision to adopt bitcoin payment is, therefore, the best option.
The BYSOL organization also started taking donations in cryptocurrencies to support employees laid off for bolstering the Belarus political opposition. The Belarus-based organization, BYSOL, also supports anyone repressed, prosecuted, or anyone who lost their jobs due to taking part in strikes or peaceful protests in Belarus; through cryptocurrency donations.
BYSOL also fundraises with bitcoin and ethereum as funding options. The organization raised more than $2 million to offer protesters support for their bravery, especially when they economically get tied to the state and punished.
The crypto adoption by protestors is critical for both the dissidents and the donators. For that reason, contributors can use a bitcoin address that upholds anonymity when donating. At the same time, the leading dissident can access their funds anytime due to the decentralized nature of cryptocurrency technology.
