--- title: "Pussy Riot Founder is Selling NFTs to Fund Ukrainian Aid" description: "The founder of the Pussy Riot has teamed up with American non-fungible token (NFT) artists to use crypto to raise funds for Ukrainian aid groups." date: "2022-02-26" modified: "2022-02-26" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/ukraine-aid-nfts" categories: - "Blockchain" - "Cryptocurrency" - "Future Society" - "NFTs" tags: - "crypto" - "humanitarian aid" - "nfts" - "the blockchain" - "the digest" --- # Pussy Riot Founder is Selling NFTs to Fund Ukrainian Aid ![The founder of the Pussy Riot has teamed up with American non-fungible token (NFT) artists to use crypto to raise funds for Ukrainian aid groups.]() *\Image: Anthony Pidgeon/Redferns\* ## Rockin' in Ukraine The founder of noted Russian activist group Pussy Riot has teamed up with American non-fungible token (NFT) artists to use crypto to raise funds for Ukrainian aid groups. As [*Bloomberg* reports](), Russian protest artist and Pussy Riot founder Nadya Tolokonnikova is working with NFT creators Trippy Labs and the Pleasr decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) to send crypto to Ukrainian groups amid the country's invasion by Russia. UkraineDAO, as the group is calling itself, will be [selling 10,000 NFTs of the Ukrainian flag](), with all proceeds going towards nonprofits including Kyiv's Return Alive Foundation and the Proliska non-governmental organization, which aids people in the separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. ## Web3 Dreams The idea for the DAO came, [according to *Decrypt*](), from Ukrainian-born activist Alona Shevchenko, a web3 enthusiast who reached out to Pussy Riot and Tolokonnikova and quickly began organizing the group. "Creating a DAO is a good way to get international and Web3 attention and give the Ukrainian people a voice," Shevchenko told *Decrypt*. "This is exactly what DAOs are for, making change offline in the real world harnessing the power of blockchain." In a Twitter Spaces conversation transcribed by *Bloomberg*, the Pussy Riot founder echoed the claim, saying that the DAO makes sense because "crypto is borderless, permitless and it's so much easier and faster than fiat." Web3 boosting aside, the use of crypto in Ukrainian aid is significant because the country considers itself [one of the top five in the world for crypto usage]() and, per analysis from the Elliptic analytics firm, has already [received $4 million in digital currencies]() since Russia's military aggression and subsequent invasion began. While there's [lots of ridiculousness]() in the world of web3, this seems like a rare story where crypto is being used for a good cause — and that's heartening. **READ MORE:** [Pussy Riot Founder, Trippy Labs, PleasrDAO Members Launch 'Ukraine DAO']() \[*Decrypt*\] **And on the flip side:** *[Crypto Dude Mocked for Shockingly Tone Deaf Post About Ukraine Invasion]()* ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()