The Bitcoin Layer The Global Refugee Crisis & The Bitcoin Solution
Aug 15, 2025
Daniel Batten, a researcher focused on Bitcoin's environmental and humanitarian benefits, discusses the transformative power of Bitcoin for refugees. He reveals how over 329,000 refugees have utilized Bitcoin to escape crises, emphasizing its advantages over traditional financial tools. The conversation highlights inspiring stories from Ukraine, Venezuela, and Somalia, showcasing Bitcoin's ability to enable borderless transactions and promote financial dignity. Batten also addresses the growing recognition of Bitcoin's humanitarian and environmental potential by policymakers and financial institutions.
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Bitcoin Enabled Hundreds Of Thousands To Flee
- The report estimates at least 329,000 refugees have used Bitcoin to cross borders and restart lives.
- Bitcoin succeeded where cash, gold, and stablecoins often could not during crises.
USB Key Helped A Ukrainian Rebuild
- A Ukrainian refugee carried a USB with a few thousand dollars in Bitcoin and rebuilt his life in Poland.
- That single story motivated the effort to quantify how widespread such rescues are.
Inference-Based Method Finds Conservative Baseline
- Researchers inferred refugee Bitcoin use from crypto adoption data, Bitcoin share, and UN refugee flows using conservative assumptions.
- The methodology produces a baseline figure that could understate the true scale.