Binance Charity, the philanthropic arm of the world’s largest blockchain ecosystem, has been doubling down on its mission to help the people of Vietnam. On this occasion, its decision to loosen the purse strings and make a sizable donation to government officials, to direct towards people on the ground, was spurred by the intense flooding that’s hit the Southeast Asian country this past week.
The blockchain charity has pledged $200,000 (nearly 5.3 billion VND) to the region as part of its longstanding commitment to humanitarian aid in Southeast Asia. The financial handover, conducted on November 21 in Ho Chi Minh City, has enabled officials to get straight to work in assisting those who’ve been worst hit by the latest weatherborne crisis to descend on Vietnam.
There are hopes that the financial package will make a real difference, particularly in supporting rebuilding efforts now that hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese have been displaced.
Binance Charity Returns to Vietnam
While the $200,000 donation provided by Binance Charity is substantial, the methodology behind it offers a glimpse into the organization’s evolving strategy. In 2024, following Typhoon Yagi, the charity executed a direct airdrop of $1M in BNB tokens to users – a high-tech solution leveraging the speed of blockchain.
However, this latest move routes funds through a socio-political umbrella organization, suggesting a nuanced understanding of disaster zones. When floods wipe out power grids and internet connectivity, digital wallets can be inaccessible. Through working with a local organization that knows the area inside out, Binance Charity can ensure that aid reaches the “last mile” in the form of food and reconstruction materials particularly.
“Our hearts go out to everyone affected by these devastating floods,” said Seker SB, Head of APAC at Binance. “We hope this contribution can offer necessary support to those facing immense hardship and help local communities rebuild stronger. Binance Charity remains committed to supporting communities across the region by delivering immediate relief and strengthening long-term resilience.”
Making a Real Difference
One thing Binance Charity can’t be accused of is virtue signaling: since its inception, it’s donated to over 12,000 causes, with more than 1,570 BTC raised alone from over 2 million donors. Its latest Vietnam donation is the latest link in a chain of sustainability initiatives that includes deploying industrial reverse osmosis filtration systems across 10 Mekong Delta provinces to combat severe saltwater intrusion.
Binance Charity has also supported a partnership with the Earthworm Foundation to plant 10,000 trees in Binh Thuan, with the goal of restoring ecosystems that have the potential to prevent future floods of this scale. Given that Vietnam faces volatile weather patterns, the odds are that Binance Charity will be drawn back to the region in future to help again.
In the here and now, by committing $200K to Vietnam, Binance Charity has demonstrated that while the digital technology for fundraising is intangible, the impact is undeniably concrete.