Polygon co-founder Sandeep Nailwal announced on Sept. 4, 2026 that he had opened a cryptocurrency donation route for Nepal's Prime Minister's Disaster Relief Fund. The initiative uses Polygon's Open Money Stack, Coinme, and Cross River Bank to collect crypto contributions, convert them into Nepalese rupees, and deliver the funds through recognized financial channels.
Blockchain for Impact has pledged $100,000 to the campaign. Donors can contribute USDC through Ethereum or Polygon, and Engage Nepal, a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, handles collection and accounting before transferring the converted funds to Nepal's official disaster fund. The stablecoin-based approach avoids the price swings associated with assets such as Bitcoin or Ether, while public blockchain records provide partial transparency on donation movements.
The relief effort follows severe Himalayan flooding caused by a glacier collapse on Aug. 26. Authorities reported at least 750 deaths and more than 3,000 missing people across Nepal and China's Tibet region, with Nepal accounting for 734 deaths and 2,498 missing. The Red Cross estimated more than 90,000 people were affected. Ripple committed $300,000 on Aug. 29, and a Solana Foundation and Mallow auction of profile image ad spaces raised $166,946.50 for the same relief effort.
Nailwal previously created the India COVID-Crypto Relief Fund in 2021, which was later reworked into Blockchain for Impact. The organization has allocated more than $90 million to healthcare and research programs, with additional funding pledges for future projects.
