Global fintechs and web3 giants unite to increase blockchain-based cash assistance for humanitarian crises

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Jun 26, 2024, 08:00 ET

Humanitarian Council members include the Algorand Foundation, Circle, Worldpay, Mercy Corps Ventures, HesabPay, the United Nations Development Programme, and others

BARCELONA, Spain, June 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, in a move led by the Algorand Foundation, a coalition of fintech, web3, and humanitarian organizations announced the formation of a council seeking to increase access to blockchain-based cash assistance during humanitarian crises. The council's objective – among other activities – is to advise UN agencies and NGOs on using blockchain technology for aid payments, and to develop a roadmap for the successful piloting of blockchain-based cash programs in distressed areas.

Over the past decade, the United Nations and NGOs have begun to offer more cash-based assistance (vs. in-kind or service assistance). According to the CALP Network, a thought leader in humanitarian cash and voucher assistance, this form of assistance now comprises 21% of all international humanitarian aid, reaching $10 billion in 2022, and there is potential for that proportion to be much higher (source). Humanitarian organizations are working to deliver this kind of aid as rapidly and economically as possible whilst navigating ever more complex financial regulations. Given this, the projects under the purview of this council will explore the potential benefits and opportunities of blockchain-based payment solutions in addressing these particular constraints.

The aim in using blockchain is to first offset the lack of financial and technological infrastructure in aid locations such as Afghanistan and others. In these regions, applying blockchain technology could bring more efficiency and ease to the delivery of cash-based aid, making it possible to respond on an even larger scale.

Scaling cash-based aid also requires transparency. Cash aid programs need to be traceable and auditable without infringing on the rights of its beneficiaries. By using blockchain, organizations can maintain an immutable, unchangeable record of how cash was distributed, without disclosing how it is used by the recipient. This model protects the privacy of those in crisis while maintaining the traceability and verification that aid programs, donors, and governments need.

Built on Algorand, global payment app HesabPay is already proving the effectiveness of merging blockchain and aid delivery. It facilitates the world's largest humanitarian project ever to be run on a public blockchain, bringing support to more than 14,000 families in Afghanistan in collaboration with United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and supported by the WFP Innovation Accelerator.

Bernhard Kowatsch, head of the WFP Innovation Accelerator, added, "The success of HesabPay in Afghanistan highlights the significant impact and scalability of this technology. We are eager to extend these innovations globally to revolutionize aid delivery."

"Direct cash-based humanitarian assistance has been growing rapidly and is the future thanks to the extraordinary benefits cash provides for recipients. To be effective, humanitarian payments must meet several requirements: instant settlement, easily scalable to thousands if not millions of recipients, and transparent and traceable," said Matt Keller, director of impact at the Algorand Foundation. "Blockchain checks all of these boxes, and one reason we invested in HesabPay, which delivers humanitarian aid payments in Afghanistan without sacrificing time or accountability."

"At Circle Impact, our mission since 2021 has been to empower underserved communities and reach people who have traditionally been excluded from financial systems. We are excited to be part of the Humanitarian Council, where we can cultivate a new generation of financial inclusion aimed at powering humanitarian aid and disaster relief," said Mercina Tillemann-Perez, Vice President of Circle Impact.

"Launching 16 crypto pilots in 10+ countries over the past 4 years, Mercy Corps Ventures has been actively deploying first-of-a-kind real world use cases in the humanitarian and development context leveraging blockchain technology. We're now building out a Humanitarian Venture Lab with a pipeline of humanitarian pilots, use cases, and insights that show where the challenges Algorand Foundation is addressing are playing out - and getting solved - in real time," said Sandra Uwantege Hart, Humanitarian Venture Lab lead at Mercy Corps Ventures.

"Humanitarian crises demand faster, more transparent aid solutions. Blockchain technology has the potential to revolutionize aid delivery through unparalleled traceability. If this initiative can match the speed and efficiency of the 40 billion+ transactions Worldpay processes annually, there is an opportunity to provide life-saving support to the millions facing humanitarian crises, ensuring funds reach those in need without delay," said Ahmed Zifzaf, head of crypto/web3 partnerships for Worldpay.

"In UNDP, we are exploring with Algorand how digital payments can bring transparency while making payments with more speed and trust to support the lives in countries without a strong banking ecosystem. Special attention is being paid to supporting the work of civil society organizations, such as through our Tadamon network of 4000 CSOs," said Robert Pasicko, Innovation Team Leader a.i. at UNDP.

Serving council members currently include:

Sandra Uwantege Hart, Humanitarian Venture Lab Lead at Mercy Corps Ventures
Mercina Tillemann Perez, Vice President, Circle Impact at Circle
Paula Gil Baizan, PoliSync Centre for International Policy Engagement
Ahmed Zifzaf, Head of Crypto/Web3 Partnerships at Worldpay
Hasan Fallaha, Livelihoods and Economic Recovery programme Analyst at UNDP Syria
Ali Theyab Al-Zuhairi, Economic Reform (FFER-FED) Project Coordinator at the UNDP Iraq Country Office
Robert Pasicko, Innovation Team Leader a.i., United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Henri de Jong, Chief Business Development Officer at Quantoz
Rory Crew, Technical Advisor on Data & Digitalization at the CALP Network
Nigel Pont, Senior Advisor at HesabPay
Suzana Moreno, Blockchain Technology Strategy and Portfolio Project Manager at WFP Innovation Accelerator
Kelly Stablein, Independent Humanitarian Consultant

About Algorand Foundation
Algorand's mission is to power a world where information has integrity and innovative ideas can scale. The Algorand Foundation supports Algorand's rapidly growing ecosystem by providing a best-in-class developer environment, supporting key infrastructure and setting technical standards, offering comprehensive support to builders and entrepreneurs, and providing the infrastructure for decentralized governance.

Founded by Turing Award-winning cryptographer Silvio Micali in 2019, Algorand has grown into a vibrant ecosystem of developers, entrepreneurs, and enterprise partners that benefit from institutional-grade certainty and resilience, while features like low fees, instant finality, and a minimal carbon footprint also appeal to the protocol's millions of retail users. Builders of all kinds can use common programming languages like Python to develop advanced apps and protocols that solve important problems at a global scale: instant payments in war and disaster zones, self-sovereign identity for the disenfranchised, supply-chain traceability for global commerce, permissionless protocols addressing financial inclusion, and the creation of entirely new markets through tokenization, to name a few. To learn more and start your journey on Algorand, visit algorand.foundation.

About Circle
Circle is a global financial technology firm that enables businesses of all sizes to harness the power of digital currencies and public blockchains for payments, commerce and financial applications worldwide. Circle is the issuer of USDC and EURC - highly liquid, interoperable, and trusted money protocols on the internet. Circle's open and programmable platform and APIs make it easy for organizations to run their internet-scale business, whether it is making international payments, building globally-accessible Web3 apps, or managing their internal treasury. Learn more at https://circle.com.

About HesabPay
HesabPay is a global payment app at the forefront of global financial inclusion, targeting the 2 billion unbanked individuals worldwide. With exponential growth, HesabPay now boasts over half a million users, facilitating $35 million in peer-to-peer (P2P) transfers monthly. The platform serves 250,000 households in managing their bill payments and supports over two dozen donors in distributing humanitarian cash assistance. HesabPay's impact is evident in its expansive reach and the vital financial lifeline it provides. Discover the full extent of HesabPay's services at hesab.com.

About Mercy Corps Ventures
Mercy Corps Ventures invests in and catalyzes venture-led solutions to increase the resilience of underserved individuals and communities. Founded in 2015 as the impact investing arm of global development agency, Mercy Corps, we've supported 50 early-stage ventures to scale and raise over $465 million in follow-on capital. 44% of our portfolio has at least 1 female co-founder and centers around climate adaptation and resilience-building solutions in adaptive agriculture and food systems, inclusive fintech, and climate-smart technologies, so that those living in frontier markets can withstand disruption and plan for the future. Through capital and support, piloting new approaches, action-oriented insights, and rigorously managing impact, we catalyze the ecosystem toward smarter, more impactful investments. Learn more at www.mercycorpsventures.vc.

About Worldpay
Worldpay is a leading payments technology and solutions company with unique capabilities to power omni-commerce across the globe. Our processing solutions allow businesses of all sizes to take, make and manage payments in-person and online from anywhere in the world. Annually, we process over 40 billion transactions across 146 countries and 135 currencies. We help our customers become more efficient, more secure and more successful.

SOURCE Algorand Foundation