In 2019, UNICEF faced a critical issue. In most of the developed countries starting to adopt the change from Web2 to Web3, a major part of the world’s schools were deprived of Internet connection. To deal with this issue, UNICEF created “Giga”, a joint partnership with the International Communication Union. And to collect funds, Giga becomes a hot tech: NFTs.
The NFT series built by Giga – Patchwork Kingdoms – has raised $700,000 for better internet networks in schools worldwide. When it was launched in March 2022, it was sold out within just three hours and raised $550,000 worth of profit for the firm. It has since collected $150,000 in secondary royalties, boosted by an unprecedented 20% developer’s fee.
Dutch artist Nadieh Bremer used machine learning data to create the 1,000 NFTs. They show a split scene: at the top are squares representing several schools that have internet connectivity, and on the bottom are squares representing schools without internet connectivity. When all the squares are combined, they form a school building of various colors and shapes.
On the event of public sale, Kinje said while appreciating the potential of NFTs in fundraising:
“I think NFTs also provide a really interesting use case. One of the things that we’re starting to look into is what does philanthropy look like for the next generation of people? Because if you go to UNICEF now and you donate, I don’t even know what you get, probably like a ‘thank you email’ or something.”
Gerben Kijne, director of the blockchain at Giga, said that NFTs could represent philanthropy for the next generation. Rather than just getting emails for donations, people can look at NFTs to better connect with a cause or organization they believe in. Some of the old collectors of Patchwork Kingdoms fit that mold, changing their profile pictures on social media to the NFTs.
Currently, the project’s floor price is at 0.08 ETH, or about $104. Holders get exceptional advantage in the Patchwork Kingdoms Discord, a way to check if a school has gained internet access, and advance notice of any further Patchwork Kingdoms NFT drops. It’s still uncertain if UNICEF is organizing future drops, or if it will wait until the end of the cryptocurrency market.
This news is published and verified by the NFT News media team.
