The idea of a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) fosters a democratic space where people and communities have the power to make decisions unopposed. UNICEF is testing the waters of DAO!

The humanitarian aid organization evaluates digital public goods on Polygon by using DAO. 

Arun Maharajan, the blockchain lead at UNICEF Innovation, which is a subsidiary of UNICEF, stated that UNICEF is creating “a DAO prototype” to help disseminate power and communication equitably for a “globally dispersed digital public good”.

According to Maharajan, the organization’s priorities are the team members first, then, they would later involve end users or other stakeholders. The aim is to allow these DPG communities to work together and “decide what needs to be done.”

The early-stage testing is based on the Layer 2 solution Polygon, making it simpler for DPG stakeholders to communicate while debating potential new features for the project. 

Digital Public Goods (DPGs) are alternatives to private and proprietary solutions. They include open-source software, models, and standards to build digital infrastructure. They can help to attain sustainable development goals (SDGs). 

UNICEF is working to protect the rights of children.
UNICEF is working to protect the rights of children.

UNICEF’s Movement in the Crypto Space

Crypto is garnering acceptance as the number of crypto donations in recent years has grown. After the devastating earthquakes that rocked Turkey and Syria, crypto firms rose to the occasion and sent crypto donations to the victims.

In a bid to learn more about crypto, UNICEF launched CryptoFund in 2019. The CryptoFund is a model fund used by UNICEF to investigate the usage of digital currencies and what it means to run a nonprofit in the age of digital financing.

As part of its foray into the Web3 sphere, UNICEF Brazil partnered with Upland to educate and create employment opportunities for the youth in Brazil.

The CryptoFund aims to aid startups that UNICEF considers to be offering cutting-edge technology for children to receive money in Ether and Bitcoin; contributions from Animoca Brands, Huobi Charity, and ETC Laboratories among others.