Helperbit announces project closure

Dear users and friends,

Five years have passed since the Helperbit kick-off, and this marks the end of the startup status.

Helperbit was born in response to a lack of transparency in donation management, offering the non-profit world safe and transparent bitcoin fundraising tools.

In recent years, our tools helped during critical calamities such as the central Italy earthquake in 2016 and the dramatic initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Helperbit fostered crypto donations to many small projects too, helping them boost their activities in a wide range of verticals, from disability to education.

We are proud of the generated social impact, acknowledged in the years by awards and honorable public mentions.

Unfortunately, the startup has not achieved economic sustainability, and this forces us to close the project.

From today, sign-ups are closed, and it is no longer possible to create new fundraising projects. Registered organizations and users have 30 days (May 20, 2021) to withdraw their funds and transfer them to their wallets or exchanges. Eventually, we can assist with fund transfer operations.

After 30 days, it will be no longer possible to access the platform, but users can transfer funds through the tool deployed in Github.

We will keep users’ and organizations’ documentation for the time required by the law, with the same high-level security standard used in the past years.

info@helperbit.com

How Bitcoin community helps Italy during coronavirus emergency

Rome, April 6, 2020

Yesterday the second level Advanced Medical Post for pre-triage was set up in Castel Gandolfo by Italian Red Cross – Colli Albani Committee. The AMP was purchased using the bitcoin donations raised thanks to Helperbit platform and, in a short time, it was delivered and deployed.

On March 12, Colli Albani Committee launched a bitcoin fundraising campaign focused on COVID-19 emergency in Italy. This was the first initiative in cryptocurrency sector and this led to media attention and international visibility. The first target of € 10,000 in BTC was achieved in just three days; it was possible to quickly exchange the raised money in Euro and purchase the material needed to build the AMP, which is already functioning at the time of writing. The fees of the procedures, from the initial donations until the purchase, are worth 0.55%.

The campaign is running and the second target of € 25,000 in BTC is almost reached.

 

Bruno Pietrosanti, President at Colli Albani Committee, said: “With great pleasure, we reached the first main milestone of our fundraising. We are happy to have turned the received donations into a tangible aid and we are excited to have received so much help from the Bitcoin community.”

Guido Baroncini Turricchia, CEO at Helperbit, commented: “When Colli Albani Committee sent me photos of the tent, a gift granted by the solidarity of the Bitcoin community, I was excited. The efforts of Helperbit, jointly with Bitcoin donors, are now saving lives and helping to protect first responders on the front line. Those people, that in the silence of their home donated to the project, must be proud to be part of this charitable initiative. Bitcoin confirmed to be a powerful tool, a technology that allows to deliver direct and fast international aid during calamities, increasing also the transparency level. ”

Fundraising project created by Colli Albani Committee: https://app.helperbit.com/project/5e6a64ee84cb8662d901a29c/covid19-posto-medico-avanzato-per-pretriage

The QR code, which shows the Bitcoin address managed by Colli Albani Committee

The Italian Red Cross – Colli Albani team during the event in Castel Gandolfo

 

Helperbit:
Guido Baroncini Turricchia (CEO)
Website: https://app.helperbit.com
Email: info@helperbit.com

From 0 to 20 thousand in two weeks: how the Bitcoin community has helped Italy to face Coronavirus emergency

Thanks to the support of the Bitcoin community, the Italian Red Cross – Colli Albani Committee raised more than 3 BTC, equal to over € 20,000, and purchased the materials to set up a second level Advanced Medical Post for COVID-19 pre-triage.
This initiative showed how it was possible to transform BTC coming from all over the world into a tangible asset, needed during an emergency situation, in just two weeks and with a total fee much lower than 1%.

The equipment is arrived in the storehouse of Colli Albani Committee

 

 

Introduction

This article summarizes the work done by Helperbit in the last weeks, reporting data and activities, and wishes to thank Blockchain Education Network Italia, Blockchain Education Network, Gitcoin and Young Platform for their support in spreading the charitable fundraising through their networks.

 

Operational aspects

The whole process, from the first contact to the setup of the Bitcoin wallet, lasted about 3 days, demonstrating the dedication of the Colli Albani Committee.
In this initial phase, Helperbit carried out the due diligence process and assisted the charity to define the goal of the project and to draft the description.
The Colli Albani Committee, therefore, created its own multi-signature Bitcoin wallet (Segwit-enabled, Ledger-compatible, non-custodial) and launched the project:
https://app.helperbit.com/project/5e6a64ee84cb8662d901a29c

In just 3 days, even before the execution of the planned intense communicative work, the target (€ 10,000) has been achieved!
To date, over 5000 people have visited the project and the charitable initiative has been reported on over 50 crypto magazines, with dozens of tweets to support it.
After requesting several quotes, the purchase order was carried out on March 25th, while the self-supporting pneumatic tent, the main component of the Advanced Medical Post, was delivered on March 27th!

Colli Albani Committee foresees the first deployment of the AMP on April 5th, during the blood donation day that will be hosted near the Lake of Castel Gandolfo (Rome).
The need to ensure the safety of blood donors, through sufficient distancing, determines the first use of this AMP: it will be deployed as a screening station for medical pre-donation examinations, performed by doctors to donors before blood donation.

As reported by the website of the Italian Ministry of Health: “As a result of the fear of Covid-19, in the first week of March donations fell by an average of ten percent throughout Italy. After many appeals to get back to donate, lately the number of donors has started to grow again. It is now important to maintain this trend in order to continue to guarantee the therapies  to sick people. Patients that need transfusions every day could be affected by this lack of blood, increasing the number of people that will go to hospitals”.

 

Economic aspects

From an economic point of view, the Red Cross – Colli Albani Committee raised in total 3.21 BTC through the Bitcoin fundraising.
2,91492543 BTC were exchanged via Tinkl.it in Euros (€ 18,551 at the time of exchange) and sent to the charity’s bank account via bank transfer.

Here below we summarize all the costs charged during the process, from initial donations to the final purchase:
– the sum of the fees charged by the Bitcoin network to send the donations were 0.00989986 BTC (0.34%)
– 0% is the fee of Helperbit platform: as a Corporate Policy, Helperbit never charges fees on donations
– the fee charged by the Bitcoin network for the transaction to the payment processor Tinkl.it (TxID) was 0.00492543 BTC (0.19%)
– 0% is the fee charged by Tinkl.it on this occasion
– € 3 is the cost of bank transfers to the merchant’s bank account

Total fees: 0.55%

 

Some statistics about donations, until today *:

Largest donation: 2.64057873 BTC (€ 15.840), TxID
Average donation (excluding 2.64 BTC transaction): 0.0057 BTC (€ 34)
Average donation (including 2.64 BTC transaction): 0.032 BTC (€ 192)
Average fee per donation: 0.000191 BTC (€ 1.15)
More efficient donation: only 0.538 satoshi per Byte! (TxID)
Number of total donations: 101
Ratio of Bitcoin donations: 97%
Ratio of donations in Altcoins: 3%
Ratio of anonymous donations: 90%
Ratio of donations from registered users: 10%

* reference value: 1 BTC = € 6000

 

Accountability

The interactive graph shows all the transactions made to the Bitcoin wallet managed by Colli Albani Committee: each arrow corresponds to a donation and, if the donor was logged in, it is possible to browse his/her public profile information.
Thanks to all anonymous donors and to the registered ones: Tezgate, ideobit_agency, iacopolivia, thierrybouhnik, simone_g, guido, plaza, gessa.

 

The charity requested some quotes (LANCO, FT-Plasteco, Celani) and then bought the needed equipment. The first batch of items costed € 8,330 + vat.

The Italian Red Cross Launches a Bitcoin Fundraising to Face Coronavirus Emergency

The Coronavirus disease in Italy has created a national health emergency. At the time of writing we have had more than 15 thousand confirmed cases and over 1000 deaths. It is already difficult to locate the intensive care beds when needed and we are still a long way from peak infection.
See the latest officially confirmed data at: http://tiny.cc/07s7kz

The Italian Red Cross | Colli Albani Committee is raising Bitcoin donations (and other cryptocurrencies) to purchase and set-up a Second Level Advanced Medical Post for pre-triage of COVID-19 cases.
The target of 10.000 € will be used to purchase the core infrastructure and medical equipment for the project. Any surplus will be used to provide medical staff with the personal protection they need.

Open the fundraising campaign: https://app.helperbit.com/project/5e6a64ee84cb8662d901a29c/raccolta-fondi-per-posto-medico-avanzato-per-pretriage-covid19

The IRC Colli Albani Committee is based on the hills south-east of Rome (ASL Roma 6) and is the reference point for the territories of Marino, Castel Gandolfo, Albano Laziale, Rocca di Papa, but it is part of the national civil protection system and operates in support of emergencies.

The President of the IRC Colli Albani Committee, Bruno Pietrosanti, says: “We need to ease the pressure in hospitalizations, as the number of infected people is increasing and there is a reduced number of available places within hospital facilities. We believe that an innovative fundraising tool like Bitcoin can help us find the necessary economic resources, that are very difficult to obtain in this historical moment.”

The initiative is supported by Young Srl, a FinTech startup operating in the cryptocurrency sector that has always been ready to support initiatives at the service of the community, and by Blockchain Education Network Italia, a non-profit association born in 2014 that spread Bitcoin and blockchain knowledge across Italy, that have created their respective pages to invite their network to donate.

Andrea Ferrero, CEO at Young,  commented: “I strongly believe that blockchain technology is more effective and transparent to support this type of initiative. Young is a company that aims to create or exploit innovative models to improve existing procedures and we will always be at the forefront in supporting charitable projects, such as the Red Cross one. ”

Emiliano Palermo said on behalf of Blockchain Education Network Italy: “During these critic days I have seen many charitable campaigns, one after the other. I’m glad that also Blockchain Education Network Italy is acting to support transparent donations via Helperbit. ”

Lastly, Guido Baroncini Turricchia, CEO at Helperbit, underlined the importance of the initiative: “The situation of the National Health System is dramatic and the forecasts for the coming weeks see an overload in hospitals. The IRC Colli Albani Committee project goes in the direction to alleviate the pressure to health facilities. We are therefore happy to be able to contribute to this campaign, giving also this opportunity to the Italian and international crypto community. “

Bitcoin Adoption is Growing in Charity Sector

According to the Global NGO Technology Report, that interviewed more than 5,000 NGOs from all over the world, cryptocurrency donations represent 2% of the payment methods in the United States and Canada (last year 1%), while they reach 5% in Africa, 4% in Asia, 2% in Australia and Europe, 1% in Latin America.

The growth of cryptocurrency donations, which includes both Bitcoin and Altcoins, is noteworthy: in the report released in 2018 this payment method covered 1-4% of donations, while this year it grows in all continents, up to a 100% increase compared to the previous value in the United States, Europe and Australia. While remaining the least used tool (behind digital wallets, Paypal, credit and debit cards), cryptocurrencies are quickly gaining ground and it is possible that in the next few years the target market can reach, or even surpass, web payment giants like Paypal.

After important initiatives such as Pineapple Fund, which donated 5,000 BTCs (at the time of the announcement, they amounted to about $ 86 million), the positive trend is also shown by Fidelity Charitable, which recently said it had received over $100 million for charity since 2015.

Analyzing the report further, we noticed that about 50-60% of NGOs worldwide accept online donations through their site, while in the United States 85% of organizations use online tools. Similarly, 58% of American NGOs participated in Giving Tuesday 2018 (and 79% of these have already planned to participate in the 2019 edition), while in Europe only 25% participated last year and less than half of these are working on the upcoming new edition.

This shows how fundraising methods are still widely different in Europe and the United States, even if Europeans have closed the gap about the use of social networks as a daily communication tool with their donors (95% vs 97%).

Another metric that in particular interests us is the comparison relative to the understanding of emerging technologies: artificial intelligence is very well understood by about 30% of the interviewees, the Internet of Things (IoT) is clear for 20-40% of the NGOs, while the blockchain technology turns out to be the most difficult innovation to be understood, with only 8-17% of the interviewees that understands well its functioning.

Much work needs to be done to reach a good market penetration and companies like Helperbit act as promoters in favoring the encounter between cryptocurrencies and the non-profit sector.

Eidoo: charity for Notre-Dame with Helperbit and Aidcoin

PRESS RELEASE

Since Eidoo was founded in 2017, we have always tried to create a user experience that doesn’t stop at the mere management of cryptocurrencies within the app which we have developed, but which follows the ideals of the crypto world in terms of inclusion and elimination of territorial and economic barriers, among other things

As we pursue these principles, we believe that no one should be left behind during this “blockchain revolution” and we are determined to bring the benefits of the crypto world also in the case of the tragic fire that involved the cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris.

How to contribute to the charity

To contribute to the reconstruction, Eidoo will donate $10,000 using the platforms of AidCoin and Helperbit, both created with the aim of ensuring transparency of charitable donations.

The possibility of making a donation for the reconstruction of Notre-Dame is also open to companies, associations and users who want to contribute. On the AidCoin website, in fact, users will find a dedicated page where they can contribute, even anonymously.

Obviously none of the companies involved will take any fees on donations. The only fee to be paid by the user will be the one set by the relevant blockchain.

For donations, Helperbit and AidCoin will accept: Bitcoin, Cardano, AidCoin, Basic Attention Token, BlackCoin, Dai, Dash, Decred, DigixDAO, Dogecoin, Enjin Coin, Essentia, Ethereum, FlypMe, GameCredits, GridCoin, Groestlcoin, Litecoin, PIVX, Power Ledger, Peercoin, Augur, Syscoin, TrueUSD, BLOCKv, Vertcoin, Zcash and 0x.

Through Helperbit it will then be possible to donate using even the most traditional credit and debit cards.

Thomas Bertani, CEO of Eidoo, said: “Donations through Helperbit and AidCoin will ensure full transparency, accountability and direct access to end recipients. At Eidoo we are convinced that the crypto and the blockchain can help in solving many problems as well as the management of charitable donations that all too often hide sad truths unfortunately”.

Guido Baroncini Turricchia, CEO of Helperbit, said: “We are pleased that a well-known company in the crypto sector has chosen our platform to pursue its social initiative in the face of the events that took place at Notre-Dame. History and culture are rarely intertwined with the most pioneering technological innovations and being able to be ambassadors of this union is a source of satisfaction for us”.

Francesco Fusetti, CEO of AidCoin, explained: “Through aidchain, our donation tracking platform, we can ensure that donations received reach the right recipient. The crypto received will be instantly converted to a stablecoin in order to guarantee the fiat value for the association without losing the blockchain’s traceability function”. 

Helperbit now supports Ledger Hardware Wallets

In the last update, the platform added the possibility of creating a Bitcoin wallet using the physical device. This option is already available for Nano S wallets produced by Ledger; the French company is one of the most renowned startups in the industry, with over 1.5 million devices sold worldwide. The integration of the Trezor hardware wallet is also planned.

All users that have already configured the device can create a wallet simply by pairing the hardware with the platform. The Bitcoin private key is kept protected on the offline device and it is not necessary to write the 12-word passphrase related to the Helperbit wallet. The function is available to all kind of users: individuals, administrators of NGOs’ funds and for company accounts.

 

What is the Ledger Nano S
For those unfamiliar with this device, the wallet is similar to a USB stick and is designed to withstand cyber attacks and viruses. The tool comes with two multi-function buttons and a small screen, covered by a metal protection.

 

How to complete the first configuration
After connecting the device to your computer using the appropriate cable, a welcome message is shown. The next required step is to create a new account and choose the PIN, which will be requested each time that the device will be connected to the computer.
The screen shows the 24 words, that represent the backup key. Write those words on paper (blank cards designed for this operation are provided with the Ledger) and keep them safe is very important, as they are the only way to restore the access to the wallet if you lose the physical device.
The last step requires the installation of Ledger Live and the installation of the Bitcoin App on the device.

 

How to make a transaction using the Ledger wallet on Helperbit platform
After configuring the device, the “manage your bitcoin wallet” button is available in the user’s control panel and here you can choose the procedure to create the wallet.
At this point you need to connect and unlock the Ledger, access the Bitcoin app on the device and confirm the operation. The wallet is already created and the bitcoin address is visible on the platform with the relative QR code.
To send a transaction, the operations to be completed are the same as above: connect the device, unlock it and confirm the sending of funds from the Ledger.

Become an Ambassador And Unlock Digital Badges!

3, 2, 1 .. here we are, the Ambassador and digital badge programs are live! From today, the way you can collaborate to promote our platform is radically changed.

Complete the tasks to unlock digital badges and become an Ambassador to receive physical prizes.

Take part in the Ambassador program is very simple: help your friends to sign up for the platform through your invite link and you can automatically receive t-shirts, sweatshirts and a hardware wallet!

In addition, for the person that has the highest number of referred Friends, an exclusive prize: a drone, an action cam or a 72h Bug-out-bag worth over € 500! The list of participants is always available in the “Ambassador Ranking” page and the competition is open until 30th August 2019! The winner must have at least 20 verified friends.

Watch the video that explains the main steps of this program:

For more information about the use of the invite link and to maximize your contribution, read our dedicated page.

 

The badge initiative is even more engaging: many activities have been assigned to you and for each completed activity you receive a digital recognition, available on your profile.

There are 6 types of badges:

  • Trust Badge: this badge requires that you complete every verification procedure in the platform;
  • Supporter Badge: we reward each user that contributes to expand the network of non-profits in the platform;
  • Donor Badge: only the most virtuous users, able to complete technical and social tasks, receive this award;
  • Fundraiser Badge: go into the field, create Fundraising campaigns and raise money for non-profit organizations. The more donations you collect, the higher your level will go up;
  • Ambassador Badge: invite friends to sign up and become a proud Helperbit Ambassador! Your level will grow according to the number of referred and verified Users;
  • Friends Badge: you signed up using the invite link or you invited a friend.

Here you can find the details on the thresholds that you need to reach in order to unlock the badges.

 

In this update we have also released the new control panel, designed to simplify the access to the tools we have developed. The available activities are gathered on a single screen and you can better manage the verification processes and settings.

Sign up now or log in and join our cause!

Helperbit’s 2018: year in review

Here we are at the end of 2018 and, as every tradition, it is time to look back and make the year-end review.

Let’s start from an overview on a global scale: after last year’s diatribes related to the scalability of the protocol, in 2018 the Bitcoin ecosystem has never stopped growing and services like Lightning Network have further strengthened its value proposition.
Despite the capitalization of cryptocurrencies has drastically decreased, Bitcoin ATMs have doubled, from 2 to 4 thousand1, and even the investments of Venture Capital in crypto startups have risen by 280% in the first three quarters of the year2. During the last 12 months the stablecoins have also proliferated, with effects that will surely influence the 2019.
On the regulatory front, we saw interesting initiatives from Switzerland and Malta, which are among the first nations to aspire to the creation of a favorable environment for the crypto sector, while the position of the European Union remains quite uncertain.

 

The main activities of this year

Regarding the awards, we are glad to be named the best European Fintech startup by the European Commission in the presence of 4 Prime Ministers!
At the beginning of the year we also won the Italian Round of the Global Social Venture Competition, while lately we received the Shapers Award during the laBITconf in Chile.

Thanks to the awards and over 25 conferences held as speakers in 2018, our media coverage was great: at international level we were mentioned on Forbes, Bitcoin Magazine, Bitcoin.com and Cryptonomist, while in relation to the Italian landscape we were interviewed by Corriere della Sera , Il Sole 24 Ore, La Stampa, StartupItalia, AGI, NextGenerationCurrency and many other magazines.

In September we celebrated the first 1000 subscribers to the platform, but the road is still long and in 2019 we will focus mainly on the dissemination of the services that we already launched. New organizations have signed up and launched their bitcoin fundraisings, while others have put into effect your help in a tangible social impact. In particular, thanks to your donations, “La Casa di Sabbia” has completed its fundraising and funded 36 weeks of summer camps for siblings of disabled children; so it launched a new project that aims to create cheap games for children with severe disabilities.

The last months of the year were focused on the Giving Tuesday, the international give back day, which drove us to launch the “Fundraising Campaigns“. This new service is developed for people that support non-profit organizations, offering to individuals the tools to actively contribute to a cause that is close to their heart.
Anyone can therefore open their own Fundraising Campaign to celebrate the birthday, a holiday, the degree or another significant milestone. The funds raised during the campaign go to the chosen NGO, in a direct and transparent way.

 

As mentioned above, for the next year we will be focused on the community, with the aim of releasing new features to increase the interaction between users. The network effect will help us to increase the awareness of how much each of us can do, working side by side, to improve the world in which we live.

 

Happy New Year from Helperbit Team!

 

1https://coinatmradar.com/charts/growth/

2https://cointelegraph.com/news/venture-capital-investment-in-blockchain-and-crypto-up-280-in-2018-report-shows

Which role for Bitcoin and Cryptos during the Giving Tuesday?

Born in 2012 by the will of 92nd Street Y and the United Nations Foundation, #GivingTuesday is a movement that gave life to what can be considered as the global day of giving. It is celebrated on the first Tuesday after the American Thanksgiving Day and immediately after 2 other commercial events, that were born as a result of that day: Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

In 2014, 2 years after its launch, $45 million were collected in 24 hours; that number more than doubled in 2015 ($116 million) and reached $274 million in 2017. The trend thus is about 50% growth per year!

source: Wikipedia

Most of these donations are processed online and this, in addition with the development of further emerging payment technologies, have led the World Wide Web to become a point of reference for this movement.
Access to online donations has been simplified first by PayPal and then by web giants such as Facebook, which since 2017 allows individuals to open birthday fundraisings, share them with friends and support their favorite non-profits.

 

But how will online donations evolve over the years and which role can cryptocurrencies play during the Giving Tuesday?

If in 2018 we talk about online transactions it’s impossible to not mention cryptocurrencies. Despite the ups and downs, that characterize this ecosystem, the sector has never stopped growing. After the January peak, now there are about 250 thousand transactions per day on the Bitcoin network1 and 500 thousand on Ethereum2, while Lightning Network3 reached 11 thousand open channels.

Even if there are still some difficulties, cryptocurrencies are nowadays commonly considered as an online payment method.

Two trends are emerging:

  1. early adopters, that decide to donate part of their funds to non-profit organizations
  2. small donors who appreciate the opportunity to donate using cryptocurrency.

In the first category the most known example is Pineapple Fund, an anonymous individual who announced to donate 5104 bitcoins during the last Christmas, $84 million at that time. If capitalization of cryptocurrencies will grow exponentially again, other people will have to handle an unimaginable amount of money and will evaluate to act as Pineapple.
Nonprofits must therefore be ready to receive these capitals and facilitate the donation process, as often these donors prefer to remain anonymous.
In the second case, the work that should be done by the NGO is different. By launching initiatives on social networks and collaborating with other crypto platforms, it is possible to bring bitcoiners and altcoiners closer to the charity world, encouraging them to donate during holidays and special occasions.

 

Giving Tuesday is part of the latter case. During those 24 hours many charitable initiatives related to online donations are promoted but at the moment there are fews linked with cryptocurrencies. As highlighted by Crypto Giving Tuesday, there are about forty NGOs that accept cryptos (mainly Bitcoin) and among these there are some famous names such as UNICEF, Save The Children, Direct Relief, Wikimedia or GiveDirectly, but crypto promotion is not boosted.

Crypto owner are more and more, but often they are not aware of which NGOs accept Bitcoin. This happens because nonprofits don’t highlight this opportunity, maybe worried by the vacillating legitimacy of cryptos in the mass media.
The wave of innovation does not stop due to public judgments and nonprofits should exploit these new tools in order to expand their fundraisings.

 

According to the Global NGO “Technology Report”4, Bitcoin today is accepted only by 1% of the nonprofits: we can therefore expect that for this Giving Tuesday cryptocurrencies will represent few percentage points of the total collected amount. If on that day cryptos will reach a volume close to $300 thousand (0.1% of the 2017 volume), it can already be considered a very positive result.
We are still far from mass use in this sector: we need a greater contribution from the community, in order to bring nonprofits closer to cryptocurrencies, and on the other hand the influence of institutional bodies will continue to be decisive for the global spread of cryptos.

 

Happy Giving Tuesday!

 

1 Source: Blockchain.info
2 Source: EtherScan.io
3 Source: https://1ml.com/statistics
4 http://techreport.ngo/wp-content/uploads/2018-Tech-Report-English.pdf