- AssangeDAO has raised over $11 million which will go towards the legal fees for the infamous journalist and Wikileaks founder.
- Elsewhere, Canadian truckers have turned to Bitcoin after GoFundMe suspended their $9 million campaign as they protest against COVID-19 restrictions.
A decade ago, funding any campaign that the government was against was a Herculean task as authorities could easily cease funds sent through banks and other centralized entities. Then came Bitcoin, and the world has changed. All across the world, from Nigeria to the Philippines, Russia to Canada, diverse groups are raising funds in crypto to fund their protests, most of which are peaceful and legal.
Julian Assange has raised $7.5 million for his legal battle, Vladimir Putin’s biggest rival is raising million from prison in Bitcoin, Canadian truckers have turned to BTC after GoFundMe betrayed them – these are just a few instances in which cryptos are at the heart of the fight for freedom.
AssangeDAO raises $11m to free Wikileaks founder
Julian Assange is one of the world’s most infamous journalists. He founded Wikileaks in 2006 and in 2010, used it to publish a series of leaks about the U.S government, including on the Afghan and Iraqi wars. He would later be arrested and has been sitting in a British prison since 2019. Despite the global press and media fraternity calling for his release, the U.S and British governments have been unwavering.
The answer might be through a DAO, in this case, the AssangeDAO. This DAO was founded with the express purpose of pitching towards his legal defense and lobbying for his release. On its website, it claims that its purpose is to “inspire a powerful solidarity network and fight for the freedom of Julian Assange.”
Cypherpunks Unite!
Julian Assange needs our help. Our JuiceBox fund raising page has gone live in which we will distribute our governance token JUSTICE.
All ETH contributed will be used to acquire the 1/1 Julian x @muratpak NFT!https://t.co/deVMwf1POX
— AssangeDAO (@AssangeDAO) February 3, 2022
As of press time, the DAO has raised 3,742 ETH, which at the current price of just over $3,000, is worth over $11.2 million. Those that contribute the ETH receive the $JUSTICE token.
The DAO states on its website:
We will raise funds to help with his legal fees and campaigns to increase public awareness on the systemic failure of our justice systems. We, the cypherpunks, are rallying to the cause of a fellow cypherpunk in distress.
Canada’s truckers turn to Bitcoin to fund protests
Crypto is not just being used to fight for the freedom of one person. In Canada, truck drivers are using BTC to fundraise for a movement against the tough COVID-19 restrictions.
The protests have been well-covered globally, with some truck drivers vowing to protest for months without ceasing. Their issue is the vaccine mandate issued by Justin Trudeau’s government. Unvaccinated truckers who cross the border into the U.S have to quarantine once they get back to Canada, a condition many are against.
The Freedom Convoy, as it has become known, was using GoFundMe to raise funds for the protest. However, GoFundMe suspended their campaign which had raised about $9 million.
Saying that the Freedom Convoy had become violent and lawless, GoFundMe seized the funds and pledged to give them to other charities, issuing a statement saying:
No further funds will be directly distributed to the Freedom Convoy organizers – we will work with organisers to send all remaining funds to credible and established charities verified by GoFundMe.
These truckers are now turning to the censorship-resistant Bitcoin. On its first day, the Bitcoin fundraiser managed to bring in a whole BTC.
WOWWWWWWW we did it! 100,000,000 sats. A whole #Bitcoin in 3 days. Amazing. Keep ’em coming. We’ll #GoFundOurselves pic.twitter.com/pxgo9Jbj3j
— HonkHonk Hodl (@HonkHonkHodl) February 5, 2022
The campaign is bullish on Bitcoin and touted its ability to change the world, stating:
The powerful thing about what we’re doing is that ANYONE can do it. YOU can run a Bitcoin node. YOU can use Lightning Network. YOU can create a censorship-resistant fundraiser. We’ve seen Bitcoin help people in Afghanistan, Nigeria, Venezuela, Argentina… and now Canada.
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