India Covid Crypto Relief Fund to donate $15 million to UNICEF

India Covid Crypto Relief Fund will donate $15 million (approx Rs 110 crore) to United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) India to procure 160 million RUP syringes. The relief fund, founded by Polygon cofounder Sandeep Nailwal, has also partnered with the Ministry of Health to speed up the deployment of vaccines in the country.

“While talking to officers at Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Crypto Relief volunteers understood that while Government of India is taking steps for securing the required vaccines, syringes are equally important for successful vaccination drive, and they’re in shortage,” Nailwal wrote on microblogging platform Twitter on Friday.



India Covid Crypto Relief Fund was launched in April amid the second wave of the pandemic by Nailwal, Etherum cofounder Vitalik Buterin, and former Coinbase technology chief Balaji Srinivasan has also contributed to the fund.

Nailwal wrote that the donation was made after understanding the requirements on the ground.

“The team was informed that UNICEF has initiated processing of bids in the global tender. The volunteer team got in touch with UNICEF to understand the ground requirement and quantum of funds required,” he added. “These syringes are expected to be delivered between Sept 2021 and January 2022, & shall help India vaccinate over 16 crore adults.”