Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin and Polygon co-founder Sandeep Nailwal have recently joined forces to support additional Covid-19 research projects through Nailwal’s Crypto Relief fund. The collaboration comes after Crypto Relief allocated $100 million to Buterin’s chosen Covid-19 research projects last year, which he donated through shiba inu (SHIB) tokens. Now, Nailwal has generously granted Buterin an additional $90 million to pursue even more research projects.
Crypto Relief is nothing new – it was started by Nailwal in April 2021 in response to India’s second Covid-19 wave. The fund has since disbursed hundreds of millions of dollars, most of which was provided by Buterin. Crypto enthusiasts may remember his groundbreaking contribution last year, when he donated $1 billion worth of shiba inu (SHIB) tokens.
While Buterin will be receiving another $90 million from Nailwal, he has also committed to contributing $10 million of his wealth. According to Nailwal, Buterin has shown dedication towards solving global problems such as poverty and underprivileged communities, and has a genuine humanitarian side. His support for moonshot projects has continuously inspired his peers in the industry.
One of Buterin’s primary research objectives is to focus on long Covid, which he identifies as having “the most salient risks” going forward. Buterin has cited studies of wastewater samples which point to “viral persistence” as a deep root cause for the prolonged effects of the virus.
In addition to understanding and combating long Covid, Buterin also wants to explore ways to improve air filtration and ventilation in buildings worldwide. He believes that clean air can be just as crucial for combating airborne pathogens, much like how clean water played a significant role in stopping cholera more than a century ago.
Buterin acknowledges that pandemics will continue to pose significant risks throughout the 21st century and adapting to living with airborne viruses is crucial. With these additional funds, he hopes to contribute towards understanding and eventually mitigating the devastating effects of these viruses on humanity.
It is essential for the crypto community to not only celebrate lucrative profits and market movements, but also recognize the sheer potential of cryptographic methods and funds in contributing towards global well-being. As more industry leaders like Buterin and Nailwal come together, we can hope to see an increase in blockchain-supported initiatives that can positively impact the world and help solve some of the most pressing issues we face today.
Source: Blockworks
