BitcoinWarrior

News and Education

Blockchain Luminaries Give Back with CharityStars Online Auction

Brock Pierce, Ryan Taylor, Galia Benartzi, Jeremy Gardner, Erik Voorhees, and Dr Julian Hosp have joined forces to raise funds for a number of global causes
 

CharityStars, the online fundraising auction platform for the nonprofit sector, today launched a series of auctions with prominent leaders in the blockchain space. Interested participants have the opportunity to bid for a business lunch with Ryan Taylor, CEO of Dash; Galia Benartzi, Co-founder of Bancor; serial entrepreneur Jeremy Gardner; and Erik Voorhees, CEO of ShapeShift. Contributors also have the opportunity to play poker with Brock Pierce, Chairman of the Bitcoin Foundation as well as joining Dr Julian Hosp, Co-Founder and President of TenX for a business lunch in Singapore in an ongoing auction that launched last week.

Commenting on the announcement, Francesco Nazari Fusetti, CEO and Co-Founder of CharityStars said, “At present, the charity sector suffers greatly from a lack of trust and transparency, issues directly mitigated by blockchain technology. We are incredibly fortunate to be showcasing some of the most influential minds in the space in an effort to raise awareness for a number of international charities and causes.”

“Joining forces with such reputable leaders will not only draw deserved attention to the charities in need but also highlight the staggering benefits that this emerging technology can bring to the nonprofit sector,” added Fusetti.

Co-founded by Francesco Nazari Fusetti, Manuela Ravalli, and Domenico Gravagno in 2013, CharityStars is headquartered in Los Angeles, with offices in London and Milan. CharityStars has a global network of established relationships with international charities and across the entertainment industry. Auctions are conducted through the online platform that features an array of luxury experiences and products which can be purchased at auction with proceeds going to partnering charities.

Last month, CharityStars announced the first integration of Bitcoin and Ether onto their platform, enabling auction participants to bid with the two most popular cryptocurrencies for a meet and greet with Cristiano Ronaldo. Current ongoing auctions in Bitcoin and Ether include the chance to meet tennis champion, Rafael Nadal and have dinner with A-list actor, Sharon Stone.

“As the use of cryptocurrencies and the adoption of blockchain become more mainstream the early adopters of this technology have a great deal of responsibility. At the forefront of this revolution, the onus is on us to raise awareness not only of what the technology can achieve but how we must work together as a community to achieve it,” said Erik Voorhees.

“As an active supporter of non-profit and advocacy organizations, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to not only raise awareness of a worthy cause, but to highlight the far-reaching potential of blockchain technology and the outstanding community,” said Brock Pierce.

As part of the CharityStars blockchain focused auctions, opportunities include lunch meetings with:

  • Dr Julian Hosp, Co-Founder and President of TenX, a blockchain company that facilitates the instantaneous spending of virtual currencies in the real world
  • Ryan Taylor, CEO of Dash, the rising alternative to bitcoin
  • Brock Pierce, Chairman of the Bitcoin Foundation
  • Galia Benartzi, Co-founder and Business Development at Bancor, the Decentralized Liquidity Network
  • Serial entrepreneur, Jeremy Gardner
  • Erik Voorhees, CEO of ShapeShift, the leading instant digital asset exchange
“While I always cherish the opportunity to speak at length about such a fascinating industry, the chance to sit down and do so for a good cause is both exciting and inspiring. The use cases of blockchain are limitless, but the charity sector has always been an area in which blockchain application is particularly beneficial, and I am thrilled to be a part of it,” said Ryan Taylor.

“With the world focused on the tremendous good that blockchain will bring the future, it is always important to take time to address the needs of the present as well. This auction has presented the opportunity to do this in an extremely novel and innovative way,” said Jeremy Gardner.

The proceeds from these auctions will be donated to The Blockchain Education Network (BEN), an international nonprofit organization dedicated to forming a robust network of student organizations for blockchain education, innovation, and development; the Bancor Foundation, which promotes the development and adoption of the Bancor protocol, a standard for the creation of intrinsically tradable tokens; The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) the world largest organization for nature conservation; and Save the Children, an international non-governmental organization that promotes children’s rights, provides relief, and helps support children in developing countries, and Unsung, an online community in the US that seeks to solve hunger, by enabling local grocers, restaurants, caterers, or anyone with large amounts of leftover food to donate the food through the app, that would otherwise be thrown out.

“As both a participant in this auction and a recipient of the direct support that it will bring to the wider decentralization community, I am honored to participate. CharityStars is promoting one of the key values of the blockchain industry which is to collectively contribute to designing a world we want to live in,” said Galia Benartzi.

To date, CharityStars has collaborated with hundreds of global celebrities such as Metallica, Eva Longoria, and Valentino Rossi. Recent successful auctions that raised funds for partnering charities include lunch with the former Italian President Silvio Berlusconi ($74,900); a business pitch with the founder of Candy Crush, Riccardo Zacconi ($27,250); and the official bus of the All Blacks Rugby team ($270,000).

“We are thrilled to be collaborating with such respected names within the blockchain space, as they assist us in raising the appropriate funds for our partnering charities. We are incredibly eager to harness the power of these innovators to further our mission of bringing needed clarity and transparency to the charity sector,” concluded Fusetti.

For more information about the auctions, visit: https://www.charitystars.com/collection/blockchain-charity-auctions

None of the blockchain leaders participating in the auction are advising CharityStars on the upcoming AidCoin ICO or are connected with it in any way. Â