Share this article
Global Crypto Industry Pledges Aid to Turkey Following Deadly Earthquakes
More than 40 blockchain entities in the country have signed a petition requesting authorities to set up official crypto wallets to accept donations in Turkey, similar to Ukraine.
Updated Feb 8, 2023, 5:08 p.m. Published Feb 6, 2023, 3:59 p.m.
Local and foreign crypto exchanges have pledged aid to Turkey after two powerful earthquakes and multiple aftershocks claimed thousands of lives on Monday.
The earthquakes have so far claimed at least 2,100 lives in Turkey and Syria, with organizations and countries around the world offering support as rescue efforts are underway. The international crypto community has shown an eagerness to send donations via digital assets, with multiple platforms pledging support.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters
Crypto exchanges including Binance, Gate.io and Bitfinex have said they are looking for ways to send support or have started prepping aid packages. Crypto exchange Bitget has already pledged 1 million Turkish Lira (around $53,000) to humanitarian aid, while Huobi Global has promised 2 million lira.
Crypto communities worldwide are generally quick to respond to humanitarian crises, with millions of dollars in donations pouring into Ukraine following the Russian invasion last year, and COVID-19 relief to India while it struggled with a deadly outbreak in 2021.
But crypto donations can be trickier than traditional payments or bank transfers when local authorities are less welcoming of digital assets that are in a regulatory gray area in jurisdictions across the world. Blockchain industry and research bodies in Turkey have put together a petition demanding authorities enable crypto-based donations to be accepted in Turkey.
The more than 40 entities that have signed the petition at publication time are requesting Turkish authorities to create "official crypto asset wallets and share them through official channels" – in the same way that Ukraine did shortly after the war started in February 2022 – to avoid "malicious aid schemes."
One Twitter user warned of untrustworthy fundraising efforts already popping up on messaging platforms like Telegram in Turkey.
It's unclear if the aid efforts extend to Syria, a war-torn nation subject to heavy economic sanctions from major economies including the U.S. and European Union.
Bitget has committed 1 million Turkish Lira to aiding the relief efforts in solidarity with people impacted by the earthquake in Turkey.
— Bitget (@bitgetglobal) February 6, 2023
If you can assist with local logistics, please message @bitgetturkey.
Our local team is working around the clock to make a positive impact.
Read more: Where the Coins Go: Inside Ukraine’s $135M Wartime Fundraise
More For You
What to know:
- As of October 2025, GoPlus has generated $4.7M in total revenue across its product lines. The GoPlus App is the primary revenue driver, contributing $2.5M (approx. 53%), followed by the SafeToken Protocol at $1.7M.
- GoPlus Intelligence's Token Security API averaged 717 million monthly calls year-to-date in 2025 , with a peak of nearly 1 billion calls in February 2025. Total blockchain-level requests, including transaction simulations, averaged an additional 350 million per month.
- Since its January 2025 launch , the $GPS token has registered over $5B in total spot volume and $10B in derivatives volume in 2025. Monthly spot volume peaked in March 2025 at over $1.1B , while derivatives volume peaked the same month at over $4B.
More For You
XRP Faces Downside Risk as Social Sentiment Turns Wildly Negative
The turn in crowd mood comes after a two-month slide of roughly 31%, leaving the token vulnerable to further downside if risk appetite weakens across majors.
What to know:
- XRP's price approached the $2 mark as social sentiment around the token turned sharply negative, according to Santiment data.
- The token has experienced a 31% decline over two months, making it vulnerable to further losses if market risk appetite weakens.
- Santiment's sentiment model indicates XRP is in a 'fear zone,' where negative commentary significantly outweighs positive talk, potentially influencing market positioning.
Top Stories
