This is an opinion piece by Renata Rodrigues, Global Community and Education Manager at Paxful.
Bitcoin-Powered Social Change: Part One
Bitcoin is changing the face of philanthropy. Not only does bitcoin provide transparency and efficiency to nonprofit work, but it also has the ability to attract new donors. At the other end, pairing is also reshaping how we view bitcoin.
In this two-part series on bitcoin and social good, I’ll focus on how two individuals and their respective nonprofits are using bitcoin to change communities around the world. What’s amazing is that you don’t need to understand bitcoin’s underlying technology to see the impact it has on these people’s lives.
First, we’ll look at Raul Yazdani and Agua x Vida – a non-profit organization that provides access to clean, safe water to communities in Africa.
Bitcoinforthe100 is a collection of stories and use cases that prove bitcoin really is for 100%. Below is a voice embracing bitcoin for social good.
Bitcoin for Social Change: Raúl Yazdani, Neuquén, Argentina
Raúl understands the impact Bitcoin can have on social good. Thanks to the non-governmental organization (NGO) he advises, Agua x Vida, children across North West Africa now have access to safe drinking water, all thanks to the power of Bitcoin.
Yazdani discovered Bitcoin through a 2012 advertisement, but his curiosity only took hold when the 2020 market picked up speed. As he learned more, he saw how beneficial bitcoin and USDT could be for nonprofits. Prior to bitcoin, the organization facilitated donations through traditional money transfer services. Thanks to these traditional services, they faced a huge problem: each time they sent funds, they lost 15-20% of the donations in fees.
Fueled by his knowledge of bitcoin, Yazdani suggested facilitating these donations through Paxful using bitcoin and USDT so that instead of losing money on transfers, they can actually make a profit in the process: “This nonprofit went from losing 15% of all donations to gaining 2%.”
In addition to powering his NGO with bitcoin, Yazdani also runs a cafe in Argentina – “Café Con Ciencia” – with the aim of accepting 50% of all bitcoin payments. To do this, he organizes meetings in the shop called “The Crypto Club”, to help educate the inhabitants of the region. He is also the director of a local political think tank associated with Propuesta Republicana, where he helps develop public policies like Bitcoin promotion and legislation.
Yazdani believes bitcoin is a real game-changer for younger generations, especially those who have little or no access to traditional financial services. He has seen them improve their standard of living, accumulate wealth and much more: “I have seen with my own eyes how much bitcoin can really impact lives. We live in a time when finance is becoming much more open. This is why I think bitcoin is important for social change.
You can read more about his story here.
This is a guest post by Renata Rodrigues. The opinions expressed are entirely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of BTC Inc. or bitcoin magazine.