Ukrainian organisations receive $4 million in cryptocurrency donations in the midst of a crowdfunding conflict

<p>Since Russia's offensive began on Thursday, millions of dollars have poured into NGOs and hacktivist groups to bolster the Ukrainian opposition.</p> <p>Cryptocurrencies have arisen as a crowdfunding technique at a time of war, among the instability in global markets and commodity prices as Europe's first all-out conflict in the postwar period unfolds. </p> <p>While bitcoin has yet to live up to its promise of becoming a currency that can be used to buy a cup of coffee, it has shown to be a censorship-resistant means of transmitting enormous sums of money anywhere in the world, including Ukraine. </p> <p>Bitcoin donations to Ukrainian NGOs and volunteer groups have risen in the aftermath of Moscow's attack yesterday. </p> <p>According to the most recent data from blockchain analytics firm Elliptic, a total of $4.1 million in cryptocurrency has been raised since Thursday, with $3 million in donations made on Friday alone. </p> <p>Come Back Alive, a Ukrainian NGO that supports the armed forces, received roughly $400,000 in bitcoin yesterday. </p> <p>The current batch of crypto donations follows hundreds of thousands of dollars in recent weeks from various Ukrainian organisations and hacktivists to assist oppose Russian belligerence. </p> <p>During the second part of 2021, donations began to pick up again, with Come Back Alive raising $200,000 and Ukrainian Cyber Alliance receiving $100,000 in cryptocurrency. The Myrotvorets Center, a separate organisation, raised $237,000. </p> <p>Donations have been used to buy military equipment, medical supplies, and drone-based reconnaissance, as well as a facial recognition tool to identify Russian mercenaries and spies. </p> <p>"Cryptocurrency is increasingly being used to crowdfund war, with governments' tacit sanction," said Elliptic's principal scientist, Tom Robinson. </p> <p>What distinguishes crypto from other privately wired monies is that it enables organisations to circumvent banking institutions that could otherwise block payments to a single country, al