Polygon co-founder launches Nepal crypto relief drive

Polygon co-founder Sandeep Nailwal has launched a stablecoin donation channel for Nepal’s official disaster fund, with Blockchain for Impact pledging $100,000 to the campaign. Summary The campaign accepts cryptocurrency before converting the funds into Nepalese rupees for the government relief fund. Polygon’s Open Money Stack, Coinme and Cross River Bank support the donation infrastructure. Blockchain for Impact has committed $100,000 to the Nepal relief campaign. The initiative follows separate Nepal relief commitments from Ripple and the Solana community. Stablecoins provide a route into Nepal’s disaster fund Sandeep Nailwal said in a Sep. 4 X post that he had opened a cryptocurrency donation route for people seeking to support relief and reconstruction in Nepal. Rather than sending digital assets directly to a government-controlled wallet, the system collects cryptocurrency and converts the proceeds into Nepalese rupees. The local currency then enters the Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund through recognized financial channels, according to Nailwal. Today we're launching a crypto campaign to support the people of Nepal and contribute to the Government of Nepal's Prime Minister Disaster Relief Fund. To help, donate at https://t.co/F3Isx2mKLF. Stablecoins work best when money has to move fast to people who need it. While… pic.twitter.com/33v45jbgOl — Sandeep | CEO, Polygon Foundation (※,※) (@sandeepnailwal) September 4, 2026 Polygon’s Open Money Stack provides the routing, bridging and conversion infrastructure behind the campaign. Coinme and Cross River Bank are also supporting the payment pathway, while Blockchain for Impact has pledged $100,000. The campaign website says donors can contribute USDC through Ethereum or Polygon. Engage Nepal, a U.S.-based nonprofit organization, handles the collection and accounting process before delivering the converted funds to Nepal’s official disaster fund. By accepting a dollar-backed stablecoin, the system avoids exposing the donated amount to the price swings associated with assets such as Bitcoin or Ether. Nailwal described stablecoins as suitable for cases in which money must reach people quickly, although the final transfer still relies on conversion services and conventional banking infrastructure. Public blockchain records can show when a donation enters a listed wallet and when the assets move to another address. Nailwal’s announcement did not provide a schedule for converting the contributions or state when the government fund would receive each batch of proceeds. You might also like: Ripple gives $300K to Nepal and Tibet flood relief Nepal crypto donations follow a deadly flood The fundraising drive follows severe flooding caused by a glacier collapse in the Himalayan region on Aug. 26. Ice, rock, mud, and other debris entered the mountain river system, sending floodwater through settlements and damaging roads, bridges, and power infrastructure. Authorities had reported at least 750 deaths and more than 3,000 missing people across Nepal and China’s Tibet region by Aug. 30.