- Vitalik Buterin and Sandeep Nailwal will improve COVID research via Crypto Relief
- The Crypto Relief Fund had raised $473 million toward November 2022
Ethereum cofounder Vitalik Buterin and Polygon cofounder Sandeep Nailwal are cooperating to deepen COVID-19 research and improve medical infrastructure development in India through the local Crypto Relief fund, Cointelegraph reported.
Nailwal and Buterin will receive $90 million from the fund. The remaining $10 million will be paid by Buterin out of pocket. The fund will transfer the money to ensure compliance with Indian laws.
Part of the funds has already been invested in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic in India through “emergency humanitarian relief.” Crypto Relief is run by the community. It had raised $473 million in total toward last November.
Buterin: Global solution to pandemics is needed
Buterin tweeted on June 8 that COVID-19 remains a huge risk in India and didn’t rule out “future pandemics,” which he believes will remain a major factor. To cope with pandemics effectively, people need a “global solution” that combines practical implementation and scientific innovation.
He added that a lot of the COVID-19 research would focus on airborne transmission of the virus by improving medical equipment. This would include improving HEPA filtering, ventilation, and experimental technology such as UVC irradiation.
Short- and long-term COVID impact
Buterin said the other main field of research would be the long-term effects of COVID. He claims many people are experiencing very-long-term symptoms, which is a big problem, so more research is needed in this area.
Buterin, the philanthropist of crypto
The cofounder of Ethereum explained that the donation would be disbursed to a Gnosis Safe wallet via a public contract address. He made a $100 million donation at the beginning of last year, initially as Shiba Inu (SHIB).
The latest initiative is one in a series of philanthropic efforts of the Russia-born Ethereum cofounder. He donated $5 million in ether to “Aid for Ukraine” in April last year to help the war-torn country against Russia’s invasion.
