An NFT of the Ukrainian flag, supported by a member of the Russian protest group Pussy Riot was able to raise $6.7 million for Ukraine . Thousands of people bid for a part of the digital image in a fundraiser held by UkraineDAO, collective fundraising for the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. Profits will be contributed to “Come Back Alive,” a campaign supporting Ukraine’s defenders, according to the group.
Pussy Riot was able to raise $6.7 million for Ukraine
In the second week of the Russian assault on Ukraine, Pussy Riot partnered with UkraineDAO to provide a national flag for the besieged country, raising so far over $6.7 million for humanitarian aid. In support of the defensive effort, the government announced it would accept cryptocurrency donations in Bitcoin, Ethereum, and USDT. According to organizers, the sale is the largest NFT contribution to Ukraine’s war efforts to date. It was planned after Putin amassed over 100,000 troops on its border and launched an offensive last week that has reportedly killed thousands of civilians.
Pussy Riot member, political activist, and one of Putin’s most outspoken opponents, Nadya Tolokonnikova, welcomed the fundraising effort, saying that Ukraine’s flag “unites us.”
Following the Ukrainian government’s announcement on Twitter that it will accept cryptocurrency donations, the campaign was launched. Donations are pouring into the campaign as Russia continues its “military operation” in Ukraine.
NFT stands for a non-fungible token, which allows users to possess digital assets. In under 72 hours, the sale of the NFT with the Ukrainian flag attracted almost 3,200 individual contributions.
Pussy Riot, a feminist punk rock art collective, gained notoriety after performing a “punk prayer” in a Moscow cathedral in 2012, attacking Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was approved by the Russian Orthodox Church.
For their performance, Tolokonnikova and fellow member Maria Alyokhina were sentenced to two years in prison. Their arrest hasn’t stopped them from vocally criticizing the regime. On February 24, Putin proclaimed the start of a “special military operation” in Ukraine, sparking a humanitarian crisis and international anger.
Many cultural figures in Russia have called for an end to armed conflict. Kirill Petrenko, the principal conductor of Berlin’s Philharmonic Orchestra, prominent rapper Oxxxymiron, and singer Sergei Lazarev, who represented Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2016, are among them.
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