Polygon and Mercy Corps bring blockchain to underserved communities

Blockchain technology continues to make its way into mainstream view, as many companies adopt it as a part of their operations. With the push for adoption comes the simultaneous need for more education about the technology. 

A new partnership announced on March 2 between the Polygon blockchain network and Mercy Corps Ventures — the investment arm of the humanitarian organization Mercy Corps — focuses on bringing blockchain education and opportunities to underserved communities.

According to the announcement, the new partnership has three primary objectives in its effort to bring blockchain and Web3 solutions to “traditionally excluded and underserved communities.”

These objectives include funding blockchain pilots that enable access to the financial system, blockchain hackathons with developers serving users in emerging markets, and creating a blockchain boot camp roadshow in areas with a Mercy Corps presence.

The partners believe these efforts can help “provide educational and informational sessions for local educational institutions, NGOs [nongovernmental organizations] and other organizations looking to improve operations through blockchain technology.”

Last month, Mercy Corps Ventures launched its Crypto for Good Fund II, which aims to launch a series of pilots utilizing blockchain technology to drive global financial inclusion and further climate resiliency. The first iteration of the fund launched in 2022 with almost 200 applicants. 

Related: Crypto and blockchain education becomes priority at top universities

In light of the recent earthquake that devastated parts of Turkey and Syria, Mercy Corps was involved in a series of donations coming from the crypto community to deliver aid.

It reported receiving a 50/50 split of funds donated by the cryptocurrency exchange Binance, which at the time was around $60,000 in total.

Additionally, Ripple tweeted that it would be donating XRP (XRP) worth $1 million in light of the incident and highlighted Mercy Corps as one of the recipients of the funds. 

Mercy Corps responded to the donation in a tweet, thanking Ripple for supporting its teams on the ground in northwest Syria. Donations in cryptocurrencies during times of crisis have recently been proven as a way to amplify the speed and reach of needed funds. 

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