Cryptocurrency is opening up a lot of creative possibilities. It is democratizing power and shifting it into people’s hands. And, while it has its own merits and demerits, crypto justice phenomena undeniably increase accessibility to anyone looking to participate.
In fact, women, in particular, are making waves in the world of virtual currency. NFTs and Bitcoin technology enables women towards greater economic independence and also community wealth distribution.
Crypto justice and feminism through NFTs
For example, the art collective Pussy Riot has joined the NFT movement with the sale of their video Terrestrial Paradise. Their leaders wrote that profits would be going towards women’s shelters in Russia, where the group is based.
Thus, as a performance art music group, they have been a fixture of the feminist activism scene. This most recent work is deeply influenced by founder Nadya Tolokonnikova’s traumatic experiences at labor camps.
We can use NFTs to support good causes and communities, it’s a great thing to do, so I’m happy to be part of this.
Amir Soleymani for Art Newspaper
Iranian-born art collector Amir Soleymani bought “Terrestrial Paradise.” He stated that the purchase was an expression of his support, both for NFTs and Pussy Riot. So, turning these experiences into an art form has aligned biotechnology with activism. Something we like to call; crypto justice.
Enabling women to support their communities
Likewise, GUAPCOIN is another site putting crypto justice to good use. They are providing entrepreneurial women with wide-ranging platforms to help themselves thrive.
The project was founded by Tavonia Evans. She is one of the visionaries to first recognized the highly competitive crypto market. Thus, Evans got to work making sure Black communities were represented in those spaces too.
The men I’ve observed vying for influence are not very tech-savvy at all. Women in tech, however, tend to overachieve, study more, and expand their expertise legitimately just so they can get in this space.
Tavonia Evans for Glamour
GUAPCOIN is designed to serve Black customers and Black businesses. For this, they reward users for spending habits that keep money in the economic ecosystem of Black communities.
And, as a single mother of eight, Evans is using cryptocurrency to not bring awareness, but justice to the spending power of Black consumers.
For Evans, NFTs are an opportunity to empower women in the Black community as business owners and consumers.
Remote work that opens doors
The rise of crypto justice also marks the virtual switch from chaotic trading floors on wall street to remote economic engagement.
For example, cryptos virtual nature enabled Elizabeth Rossiello to run a finance company from wherever she needed to be. BitPesa is a foreign exchange and payment platform in Africa. It uses blockchain technology to make it easier to send payments to and from Africa.
With an impressive career under her belt, Rossiello made the decision to go forward with BitPesa while expecting her second child. She recounts being denied jobs that she was more than qualified for due to the fact that she was pregnant.
So, since being founded in 2013, BitPesa has evolved into a platform that facilitates larger-scale transfers between businesses. The program boasts significantly lower costs and higher speeds in every major African currency. And, they are actively enabling greater market opportunities for the whole region.
How do you run a finance company when you’re not in Hong Kong or London or New York? That’s what crypto does. It lets you build these really cool, connected things from anywhere. And I’ve proven that with this company.
Rosiello for Glamour
Rossiello is also mindful of hiring practices and makes sure offices are composed of members from the communities they represent. More than 70% of her employees are African, and at least half are women.
Safety for sex workers
And, although not widely known, sex workers have been making the most of cryptocurrency. In fact, the use of virtual currency became integral to the porn industry. This happened when Visa and Mastercard pulled their services from Backpage, a site where sex workers would frequently post personal advertisements.
Consequently, cryptocurrencies became the only remaining form of viable payment. So, sex workers built comprehensive guides to ensure all sex workers could continue to earn their wages.
And the porn industry is now one of the most engaged with this technology. Majorly. due to the fact of the scale and efficiency with which sex workers mobilized behind Cryptocurrencies.
Cryptocurrencies like Verge allow customers and clients to retain higher levels of privacy in each interaction. Industry support has also made it easier for sex workers to have greater control over their money.
The first blockchain campsite, SpankChain, was launched in 2018. And they already had the feature of cryptocurrency in mind.
Because receiving payment in the form of cryptocurrency is harder for clients or government agents to siphon off wages from sex workers. SpankChain aims to support and safeguard this movement using their token, Spank.
Ameen Soleimani is SpankChain’s CEO and founder. She is hopeful that this will allow performers to keep their finances secure. Hopefully, this will allow women to have greater direct control over their money.
Brenna Sparks, a performer, and longtime Bitcoin user, also thinks that cryptocurrency will help to ensure workers get paid. In an industry where stigma makes contract negotiations difficult, Spank is helping to streamline the payment process for sex workers.
Uplifting crypto justice for the next generation
As cryptocurrency rockets, their users come into greater financial gains. Forums for ways to use Blockchain technology to give back also become more necessary.
Connie Gallippi is the founder of BitGive. She is the first to set up just such a philanthropic foundation using cryptocurrency. She has partnered with internationally renowned relief efforts over the past few years. And has been successful in various communities.
She had recognized that people making bank off Bitcoin needed to have easily accessible means through which to redistribute that fortune.
The organization is involved in sending aid to those in urgent need. And, they uplifting communities that are shaping the future of technology, like the Black Girls Code.
Gallippi intends for BitGive to support women and girls directly, and work with organizations that work to provide women with basic care and economic independence.
This also looks like hiring and promoting more women from within the male-dominated cryptocurrency industry.