Ethereum Foundation president Aya Miyaguchi and UNICEF’s Christopher Fabian reflected on UNICEF’s groundbreaking adoption of blockchain and cryptocurrency in a recent panel discussion at ETHPrague.
Taking attendees back to 2018 and 2019, Fabian, founder of UNICEF’s innovation unit and Giga, discussed the challenges he faced convincing the UN’s Children’s Fund, traditionally a cautious organization, to embrace blockchain technology. Given the misconceptions around cryptocurrencies four or five years ago, gaining institutional trust was a slow process, according to Fabian.
He explained the technology using practical analogies—likening blockchain to a motorcycle that transports vaccines to remote areas, emphasizing that crypto serves as a digital vehicle to safely move funds. Fabian also described cryptocurrencies as part of a broader financial ecosystem, comparing them to fungi on trees, while established institutions, including governments and the UN itself, represented the solid trees, resistant to rapid change.
Aya Miyaguchi described meeting Fabian in Osaka during the Ethereum Foundation’s developer conference, DevCon, in Japan. Observing Fabian’s deep understanding of blockchain’s potential to impact humanitarian efforts, Miyaguchi was convinced of the merit in forming a strategic partnership between Ethereum and UNICEF. She stated that aligning with UNICEF, a globally renowned entity, served Ethereum’s mission well, provided the collaboration was with the right committed team.
As a result, UNICEF boldly unveiled its CryptoFund in October 2019, becoming the first UN agency to accept, hold and directly deploy cryptocurrencies. Initially, eight technology startups received support in the form of 125 ETH. Since then, the CryptoFund has scaled up significantly, supporting high-impact ventures like Fabian’s project Giga, a company that delivers internet connectivity and tech resources to underserved global communities.
