“There is a problem with the bank accounts, something happened… the transactions are stopping, for whatever reason.” – Overheard from Walter Lekh in a Twitter Spaces conversation discussing ways to donate in support of Ukraine
Activities in Eastern Europe have taken center stage for much of the world in recent days. I have been doing my best to stay on top of the information and intelligence that is coming in, one of the many beauties of the modern age and the openness of information that the internet and smartphones have enabled; aggressive and consistent streams of reports from the field as they arrive minute by minute. This allows for greater distribution of information at a pace and effectiveness that replaces the previous centralized mechanisms of “news” distribution, which has already come under aggressive attack from events that have occurred in the last 24 months.
From these events of conflict and bloodshed have emerged reports from NGOs (non-governmental organizations) that have been [reportedly] working directly with the Ukrainian government since 2015. Also, the official Twitter account of the Ukrainian government Announced they are now accepting bitcoin and ether donations.
Before the discussion proceeds, I would like to expressly caution that no one donate ANY funds until significant effort has been put into verifying addresses to the best of their ability. This is not a political admission of support, nor a call to action. There are significant efforts by multiple parties involved in misleading and confusing information and traffic at this time. Also, for those involved in viewing live streams of webcam footage and/or social media posts, please DO NOT click on links provided by third parties you do not know or trust.
This is an extremely volatile situation, and these areas have become a battlefield for intelligence organizationswith hacker groups like Anonymous adding efforts. Participating online in these areas can actively insert you into the digital crossfire.
As I have been following as closely as I can, one of the most shared NGOs is “Save life.” SaveLife recently had their Patreon account frozenSimilar to recent events around the Canadian Freedom Convoyas well as many other tangentially related scenarios that have occurred in the last couple of years regarding centralized organizations actively working to limit freedom of information as well as the transmission of money.
“Bitcoin donations skyrocket in support of Ukrainian forces” – Espacios OSINT 02/24/22 22:04
This volatile and ongoing situation highlights a host of concerns in the modern age.
First the [arguably] obvious: money in the whole world must be separated from the state, if not entirely, then at least in part. Ukrainians have been discussing frustration with attempts to transfer funds internationally in a conventional manner to financially support their families as well as their compatriots. Of particular interest is walter lej, a Ukrainian who is currently in the US but has been spreading news online for weeks while his family remains in Ukraine. Trust rails provide too many sticking points to get funds where they are needed most in a timely manner.
Second, the radically outdated bureaucracies and systems of financial organizations continue to prove powerless in the face of real-world developments, including the rapid transmission of information in the modern age. Its lagging rate of technology adoption continues to create significant bottlenecks to the effective distribution and dissemination of information. Mainstream Media (MSM) has proven to be a sham overall from the developments of the last two years in particular. These centralized entities continue to fail to provide high-quality, legitimate information as it happens. Decentralized groups, affectionately known as OSINT (open source intelligence) are actively sought out as trusted sources. This has been witnessed by myself, by trusted reporters like mark goldberg, as well as multiple politicians, ambassadors, and active-duty intelligence officers. This demonstrates the effectiveness, reach, and efficiency of decentralized operations beyond the Bitcoin network.
Third, these events also expose how increasingly dangerous many online activities are becoming. This dynamic also means that the vulnerabilities of centralized financial systems (on which most of the developed world depends) are becoming more serious. The reason for this is that a centralized entity, while acting as a digital fortress, also provides a single point of attack, allowing attackers and miscreants to focus their efforts on breaching your defenses. It is very important to recognize that while some systems benefit from a blockchain, not all systems and mechanisms benefit from, much less require, a blockchain mechanism.
I have prewritten by Bitcoin Magazine about the value of separating the money from the state. Part of the rationale for that article was to announce the release of a Declaration of Monetary Independencewhich is a digital product that allows the signature, which works in a similar way to a petition, and will display a physical screen in the Bitcoin 2022 Conference in Miami this April.
This is a guest post by Mike Hobart. The opinions expressed are entirely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of BTC, Inc. or Bitcoin Magazine.
