SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals | SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Ministry of Finance | Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
Save the Children has launched the first-of-its-kind Bitcoin Fund, in partnership with digital asset leader Fortris, marking a pioneering shift in humanitarian innovation. The innovative solution is designed to transform how financial resources are held, managed, and delivered during global crises, aiming to circumvent the long delays and high costs of traditional banking channels.
The Fund is built on three strategic pillars:
Value Maximization: It enables the organization to securely hold Bitcoin donations for up to four years, providing donors and the charity with the flexibility to choose when to convert the assets into fiat currency to maximize the value of the contribution.
Speed and Efficiency: The platform is designed to test and scale new ways of delivering cash and voucher assistance leveraging blockchain-based tools, including Bitcoin, stablecoins, and digital wallets, thereby getting funds directly to families faster, more transparently, and at lower cost.
Financial Inclusion: The initiative will continue exploring community-based Bitcoin tools, promoting financial inclusion and digital literacy for vulnerable families with limited or no access to traditional banking services. The organization has been engaged in crypto initiatives since 2013, notably supporting children in crises from Ukraine to Gaza and Sudan.
Policy Relevance
This launch by a leading INGO validates decentralized finance as a viable, transparent, and efficient mechanism for financial inclusion and aid delivery in crisis settings. The model challenges traditional funding structures and provides a clear policy case study for governments and central banks to create regulatory βsandboxβ environments that facilitate responsible innovation in digital public goods and cross-border aid delivery (SDG 17).
What is Decentralized Aid Delivery? Decentralized Aid Delivery refers to the use of blockchain and cryptocurrency technologies (like Bitcoin and stablecoins) to transfer humanitarian funds directly to recipientsβ digital wallets, bypassing traditional banking and intermediary systems. This method enhances aid effectiveness by cutting administrative costs, improving transparency, increasing delivery speed (especially in conflict zones or after disasters), and empowering recipients with secure financial tools.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: How will the Ministry of Finance clarify the application of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) and manage the market risk exposure for domestic NGOs who choose to adopt the hold-for-value strategy for volatile crypto assets like Bitcoin?
Follow the full news here: Save the Children Launches Bitcoin Fund