Crypto donations top $1B in 2024, gain traction after Myanmar, Thailand quake

Binance co-founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao donated over half a million dollars worth of crypto to the earthquake disaster relief effort in Thailand and Myanmar, in another testament to the growing utility of blockchain-based emergency charity efforts.
Zhao donated 1,000 BNB (BNB) tokens worth almost $600,000 to the disaster relief funds for the region on March 3, blockchain data shows.
Zhao donates 1,000 BNB. Source: BscScan
“Sent 1000 BNB for the donation for Myanmar and Thailand,” wrote Zhao in an April 3 X post.
The crypto donation comes after Thailand and Myanmar were hit by a 7.7 magnitude earthquake on March 28, causing severe damage to buildings and widespread flooding.
Related: 70% chance of crypto bottoming before June amid trade fears: Nansen
At least 2,719 people have been confirmed dead in Myanmar and 18 in Thailand, with 76 people still unaccounted for, according to the latest figures shared by Reuters.
The $600,000 donation comes nearly a week after Zhao pledged to donate 500 BNB for the relief efforts, an initial commitment that he doubled. Cryptocurrency-based donations have emerged as a significant lifeline for the region, due to banking restrictions caused by damaged infrastructure.
Source: The Giving Block
Crypto donations exceeded $1 billion in 2024, spurred by increasing digital asset valuations and growing crypto regulatory clarity. About 16% of the donations went toward education, while 14% went toward medicine and health-related efforts.
The Giving Block has launched a crypto-based emergency relief effort for Myanmar and Thailand to raise $500,000 for the devastated region.
Source: TheGivingBlock
The organization expects crypto donations to reach $2.5 billion in 2025 on growing crypto wealth generation and increasing adoption due to a more favorable political landscape.
Related: Trump-linked crypto ventures may complicate US stablecoin policy
Crypto donations gain traction for emergency relief efforts
Zhao’s donation is a testament to the growing role of cryptocurrency in humanitarian aid, according to Anndy Lian, author and intergovernmental blockchain expert.
“Crypto donations, compared to traditional fiat contributions, offer unique advantages, especially in emergencies,” Lian told Cointelegraph, adding:
“Speed is a key factor—transactions on blockchain networks can settle in minutes, bypassing the delays of banks or intermediaries, which is critical when time saves lives.”
“In disaster-stricken areas like Myanmar or Thailand, where infrastructure might be compromised, crypto can reach recipients directly via digital wallets, no SWIFT codes or wire transfers required,” Lian explained.
Source: Anndy Lian
Lian also donated 44 BNB tokens to the relief efforts in Myanmar and Thailand, a move that was publicly praised by Zhao.
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has been known for his crypto donations. In October, Buterin donated over $180,000 in Ether (ETH) to the biotech charity Kanro.
Magazine: GUN token’s $69M milestone, Pudgy Penguins go to LOL Land: Web3 Gamer
Bitcoin (BTC) $ 108,506.00
Ethereum (ETH) $ 2,730.95
Tether (USDT) $ 1.00
XRP (XRP) $ 2.29
BNB (BNB) $ 687.11
Solana (SOL) $ 172.55
USDC (USDC) $ 0.999807
Dogecoin (DOGE) $ 0.225233
Cardano (ADA) $ 0.751690
TRON (TRX) $ 0.276413
Lido Staked Ether (STETH) $ 2,728.95
Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC) $ 108,412.00
Sui (SUI) $ 3.65
Wrapped stETH (WSTETH) $ 3,281.95
Hyperliquid (HYPE) $ 34.43
Chainlink (LINK) $ 15.84
Avalanche (AVAX) $ 23.48
Stellar (XLM) $ 0.285690
Shiba Inu (SHIB) $ 0.000014
Bitcoin Cash (BCH) $ 422.65
LEO Token (LEO) $ 9.05
Toncoin (TON) $ 3.33
Hedera (HBAR) $ 0.185813
WETH (WETH) $ 2,733.13
Litecoin (LTC) $ 97.47
USDS (USDS) $ 0.999806
Polkadot (DOT) $ 4.56
Wrapped eETH (WEETH) $ 2,919.07
Monero (XMR) $ 343.54
Bitget Token (BGB) $ 5.30
Pepe (PEPE) $ 0.000014
Binance Bridged USDT (BNB Smart Chain) (BSC-USD) $ 1.01
Ethena USDe (USDE) $ 0.999931
Pi Network (PI) $ 0.706265
Coinbase Wrapped BTC (CBBTC) $ 108,481.00
WhiteBIT Coin (WBT) $ 31.58
Uniswap (UNI) $ 7.11
Aave (AAVE) $ 268.27
Dai (DAI) $ 0.999904
Bittensor (TAO) $ 432.26
NEAR Protocol (NEAR) $ 2.93
Aptos (APT) $ 5.38
Jito Staked SOL (JITOSOL) $ 207.95
OKB (OKB) $ 52.23
Tokenize Xchange (TKX) $ 38.60
Ondo (ONDO) $ 0.938128
Cronos (CRO) $ 0.098063
BlackRock USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund (BUIDL) $ 1.00
Internet Computer (ICP) $ 5.43
Ethereum Classic (ETC) $ 18.75
Ethena Staked USDe (SUSDE) $ 1.17
Kaspa (KAS) $ 0.101401
Official Trump (TRUMP) $ 12.50
Gate (GT) $ 20.46
Mantle (MNT) $ 0.712065
Artificial Superintelligence Alliance (FET) $ 0.902020
VeChain (VET) $ 0.026930
Render (RENDER) $ 4.40
sUSDS (SUSDS) $ 1.05
Ethena (ENA) $ 0.389582
Cosmos Hub (ATOM) $ 4.80
USD1 (USD1) $ 1.00
Worldcoin (WLD) $ 1.35
POL (ex-MATIC) (POL) $ 0.230752
Arbitrum (ARB) $ 0.420562
Lombard Staked BTC (LBTC) $ 108,037.00
Filecoin (FIL) $ 2.86
Fasttoken (FTN) $ 4.43
Algorand (ALGO) $ 0.217421
Jupiter (JUP) $ 0.595251
Celestia (TIA) $ 2.61
Quant (QNT) $ 116.31
Binance-Peg WETH (WETH) $ 2,740.74
First Digital USD (FDUSD) $ 0.995523
Jupiter Perpetuals Liquidity Provider Token (JLP) $ 4.63
Bonk (BONK) $ 0.000020
Virtuals Protocol (VIRTUAL) $ 2.35
Binance Staked SOL (BNSOL) $ 181.86
Injective (INJ) $ 14.72
Sonic (prev. FTM) (S) $ 0.446905
KuCoin (KCS) $ 11.34
Kelp DAO Restaked ETH (RSETH) $ 2,859.78
Optimism (OP) $ 0.779852
Stacks (STX) $ 0.856512
Rocket Pool ETH (RETH) $ 3,107.28
Fartcoin (FARTCOIN) $ 1.29
NEXO (NEXO) $ 1.26
USDT0 (USDT0) $ 1.00
Story (IP) $ 4.33
Flare (FLR) $ 0.018406
Sei (SEI) $ 0.225897
Immutable (IMX) $ 0.638466
EOS (EOS) $ 0.760171
SPX6900 (SPX) $ 1.20
dogwifhat (WIF) $ 1.11
Curve DAO (CRV) $ 0.785494
The Graph (GRT) $ 0.110131
XDC Network (XDC) $ 0.064016
Solv Protocol BTC (SOLVBTC) $ 108,438.00
Binance Bridged USDC (BNB Smart Chain) (USDC) $ 1.00