How Bitcoin Can Support Nearly 1 Million People in Brazil Floods

To date, authorities have reported more than 100 people missing and 83 dead after storms and rain hit the entire state of Rio Grande do Sul (RS) in Brazil since last week. The situation is critical; more than 330 municipalities remain underwater or face other serious problems.

According to the RS Civil Defense, more than 19,000 people are in shelters, almost 122,000 are homeless, and around 850,000 have been affected. The impressive numbers give a dimension to the tragedy. In fact, the warning for heavy rain, with the risk of flooding, remains.

Rains in Brazil Cause Losses of Over $54 Million

With losses estimated at more than $54 million by the National Council of Municipalities (CNM), aid needs to arrive urgently to support the victims of the greatest tragedy in the recent history of Rio Grande do Sul.

A task force between the government of RS, the federal government, several states, including São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and even Brazilians outside the country, collects donations and resources to rebuild cities and bring supplies to those affected, especially in hard-to-reach places.

Many regions are without electricity. The latest balance from RS Civil Defense shows 418.2 thousand points without power. Thus, dozens of municipalities lack access to roads, airports, bridges, and basic resources such as water, food, and medicine.  

There are already reports, for example, of shortages in some regions. According to Cemaden (National Center for Monitoring Alerts and Disasters), despite the reduced rains, there is still a risk of flooding in the entire state.

The tension of recent weeks has generated a wave of solidarity and mobilization across the country. Several official bodies, artists, and communities joined forces to raise donations for climate refugees. Furthermore, the Association of Banks in the State of Rio Grande Do Sul made accounts available for donations in reais, dollars, and euros.

For those who have an account in Brazil, make a PIX for the CNPJ key: 92.958.800/0001-38 belonging to the Association of Banks in the State of Rio Grande do Sul or Banco do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul (both options may appear).

At the time of writing, the PIX of the government of Rio Grande do Sul – the official channel of the State government – ​​raised around $7.5 million.

Another official donation channel is “For those who donate.” The website contains information from more than 100 social and non-profit organizations.

For example, one of the cities most affected by the tragedy is the community of Rolante, the most Bitcoiner city in Brazil. Residents and volunteers are united to rebuild all businesses and the main local hospital, which lost all its equipment to the flood. The healthcare institution also accepts Bitcoin.  

Across the state, 110 hospitals were affected. Despite this, 75 are partially functioning, but 17 lack service.

It is Possible To Send Donations In Bitcoin. Here Are The Addresses:

• PIX: 51.299.707/0001-81
• Bitcoin via Lightning: [email protected]
• Bitcoin via SegWit: bc1q4w3mc5uztsznk6v64hwj097umr3p4cepayt6d3

At the same time, Santa Maria resident Gerin.ETH used X (formerly Twitter) to ask for donations for the city of 300,000 inhabitants.

Gerin.ETH committed to donating the money to institutions that are helping with the tragedy, posting invoices, and recording the delivery of donations. He, for example, made three trackable Web3 wallets available.

• Chave PIX: 3fafb39d-d6b2-45fb-ac5b-83cd009bddbc (BANCO INTER)
• Receive EVM (possible for L2 USDC/USDT): 0xff35352F229F0275c0A0FFe727956d4b80DFDE74
• Solana Address (if possible, donate USDC/USDT): 7Ke8usysxqmytwBnmhewaePyQFBCuFFmnFmiXNk9CNX1

In addition to the community’s efforts, Bitso, a crypto exchange, also joined the campaign to raise donations. The exchange started an emergency campaign and is committed to doubling donations. This means the company will donate $1 for every $1 donation by its customers.

Valid until May 12, the action also accepts cryptocurrencies. To donate, make a transfer via the Bitso app (Bitso Transfer) in any cryptocurrency to [email protected]. The process takes a few seconds and guarantees the exchange.

At the end of the campaign, Bitso will convert all the amount donated in cryptocurrencies into reais and deposit the amount in full into the SOS Rio Grande do Sul account. Finally, the platform will also account for the funds raised.