- The Ukrainian band that won the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest, Kalush Orchestra, has auctioned off its iconic trophy, both physical and NFT, for $900,000 to help the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
- The band auctioned off the iconic competition trophy in both physical and NFT form through MetaHistory, Ukraine’s national NFT museum.
- The winning bid for the trophy was from the Ukrainian exchange WhiteBit, which bid 500 ETH.
If there is something that makes us call ourselves “human” it is the concern for others, especially for the unprotected, those who, whether due to poverty, abandonment, or a war among other reasons, need the help of others to move forward.
It is then that we can speak of charity, that feeling that drives us to be interested in other people and to want to help them, especially those most in need.
This feeling is what has prompted millions of people to be empathic with Ukraine, a country that has been at war with Russia since February 24. Due to this, various ways have been sought to support this nation and one of them is through the technology of crypto assets.
Although the Ukrainian government has received donations in cryptocurrencies since it made the request on 26 of February via Twitter, and the donations keep coming.
Band raises nearly a thousand dollars for Ukraine
Kalush Orchestra, Ukrainian band that won the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest, with his songStephanie“, managed to raise $900 thousand dollars for the Ukrainian army.
To raise money the band auctioned off the iconic competition trophy both physically and NFT via MetaHistory, the national NFT museum of Ukraine created to commemorate the history of current events in Ukraine, preserve the truth and collect donations for humanitarian aid.
This auction was supported by the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy, the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the association of broadcasters that organizes the International Eurovision Song Contest.
Exchange wins auction
The winning bid for the trophy was from the Ukrainian exchange WhiteBit, which bid 500 ETH. It should be said that, in addition to the physical glass microphone, the exchange house also received a non-fungible token (NFT) with the trophy.
“You guys are truly fantastic. We really appreciate each and everyone who donated to this auction, plus we want to give a special thanks to the WhiteBit team, who purchased the trophy for $900,000, thus becoming the rightful owners of our trophy“wrote the band on their official website Facebook.
It should be noted that WhiteBIT is currently the largest European exchange house originating in Ukraine. However, that is not the highlight of his acquisition of the trophy, but the fact that he made history by breaking two Ukrainian records at the same time.
The first was for the most expensive acquisition (500 ETH) of NFT, and the second because said figure represents the largest amount of donation during a live broadcast.
Crypto and fiat auction
In addition to being able to bid in cryptocurrencies, participants could also bid via fiat money.. The offers made in this format were directed through the Ukrainian virtual bank Monobank.
In addition to the auction, the band managed to win another $370,000 in fiat, after they raffled off the pink hat that the Kalush Orchestra leader wore while singing the song “Stefania” in Turin.
As stated by the bandall the cash raised will be used for the acquisition of three drones and a control center for the Ukrainian armed forces through the Serhiy Prytula charity fund.
Kalush Orchestra goes for NFT disk
The goodwill of the band will not be limited to what was obtained in the auction, because the Ukrainian music label ENKO, co-founders of the Kalush Orchestra, have indicated the planning and production of an album of music by non-fungible Tokens, in which prominent Ukrainian artists will participate, together with a VIP group of invited foreigners.
As with the trophy, all the money raised will also go to support Ukraine.
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