Ripple Contributes IDR 1.6 Billion To California Fire Victims

JAKARTA - Ripple has donated assistance for forest fires that have hit California since January 7. This blockchain technology company donated 100,000 US dollars (around Rp 1.62 billion) in XRP cryptocurrencies.

This donation is distributed through two humanitarian institutions, namely World Central Kitchen and GiveDirectly, which focus on providing food and financial assistance to the affected communities.

According to Ripple's statement on January 14, the donation was facilitated by The Giving Block, a crypto-based donation platform. This initiative demonstrates the potential of cryptocurrencies in supporting humanitarian missions, especially in emergency situations.

Donation Target Of Up To IDR 32.4 Billion

Ripple's donation was strengthened by Jared Isaacman's commitment, CEO of The Giving Block's parent company, Shift4, to match every donation of up to 1 million US dollars (around Rp. 16.2 billion). The target fundraising of 2 million US dollars (Rp. 32.4 billion) is expected to be achieved before January 15. To date, the total donations collected through The Giving Block have reached more than 332,000 US dollars (around Rp. 5.38 billion).

Previously, Ripple also collaborated with MoonPay to donate USD 50.000 (approximately IDR 810 million) in RLUSD stablecoins to the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) Foundation as additional support for fire fighting efforts.

Forest fires in California, exacerbated by strong winds, low humidity, and prolonged drought, have forced nearly 200,000 people to flee. Even though the emergency team, including the LAFD, is working hard to control the situation, the damage caused by this disaster is enormous.