One Year into War, Ukrainian Blockchain Firm ‘Stronger’ Than Ever
26. February 2023• Russian military forces invaded Ukraine one year ago on Feb 24, 2022
• Everstake is a blockchain firm located in Ukraine and the CEO Sergey Vasylchuk has been making preparations to mitigate the risk to his business and employees
• The firm launched Aid for Ukraine with Ukrainian government officials which reported more than $60 million in crypto and fiat contributions
Russian Military Forces Invade Ukraine
On February 24, 2022, Russian military forces invaded many areas of Ukraine, leading to one of the largest conflicts in modern Europe since World War II. In the 12 months since then, over 8,000 civilians have died and many cities have been shelled.
Everstake’s Preparations
Everstake is a blockchain firm based in Ukraine and its CEO Sergey Vasylchuk had been making preparations to mitigate risks caused by the invasion. He felt responsible for the livelihood of around 300 people – workers and their families – who could not work due to various reasons.
Aid For Ukraine Launched
To help those in need during this time, Everstake collaborated with Ukrainian government officials Kuna and crypto exchange FTX to launch Aid for Ukraine in March 2022. This website received more than $60 million in crypto and fiat donations towards initiatives such as military equipment, medical gear and humanitarian projects.
Ongoing Worries Despite Donations
Despite these donations being a drop into what was needed at that time, they still made an impact. Employees at Everstake have continued working from emergency shelters throughout this period facing noise from nearby explosions, loss of electrical power and adjusting to the new “normal” life under threat of shelling or missile attacks.