GiveCrypto New

Inactive
Active 2018-2022; wound down, with remaining funds later partly redirected to GiveDirectly's Future First pilot

GiveCrypto was a nonprofit founded by Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong in 2018. It sent small, regular crypto cash transfers directly to people in poverty, mainly in Venezuela, where local ambassadors identified the recipients.

Blockchain

EOS, Ethereum (Coinbase Wallet Lite)

Social identity

On-the-ground ambassadors and social workers identified and enrolled recipients

Social mining

Weekly deposits of ~$7-10 in crypto (EOS, ETH) for several weeks, spendable at partner merchants

Token economics

Donor-funded; paid in existing cryptocurrencies

Governance

Nonprofit foundation

Verified users
100+ families in the Barquisimeto pilot (2019); later programs larger
Key people

Brian Armstrong (founder)
Joe Waltman (executive director)

Locations
Venezuela
Latin America
Notes

Targeted, time-limited cash transfers rather than universal basic income