The Kingdom of Tonga, with 171 islands, got affected by the shock wave of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haa’pai submarine volcano. A former deputy is starting a campaign to accept donations in Bitcoin to help those affected.
On Thursday, January 13, we published that the Kingdom of Tonga could be the second country after El Salvador to make Bitcoin legal tender. This information came from the politician, Lord Fusitu’a.
Who would have imagined that hours after that announcement a natural phenomenon would put the archipelago in need of Bitcoin, this time to help those affected.
Cointelegraph reported today that Tonga is now accepting Bitcoin donations to help with relief efforts as the country grapples with the aftermath of the massive shock wave that produced the explosion of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haa’pai underwater volcano and led to a tsunami.
The Volcano and its Consequences
According to La Tercera, Tonga got practically isolated from the rest of the world after the eruption of an underwater volcano that paralyzed communications in this Pacific island country two days ago.
According to the information, the internet connection could be offline for several weeks for the nearly 100,000 people who live in the country.
Also, the eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haa’pai volcano covered Tonga with ash, causing a tsunami across the Pacific. Even the waves reached the shores of Latin America and left two deaths in Peru.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said yesterday that damage to Tonga’s islands is “significant.” With giant waves covering roads and properties, people began fleeing to higher ground to escape. No casualties have got reported on the Tonga islands, but there has been significant destruction of infrastructure. In addition, air and water pollution are now some of the immediate concerns for aid organizations.
Bitcoin Comes Transformed into Donations
In the face of calamity, the crypto community expressed its spirit of solidarity. Cryptocurrency holders expressed their intention to donate Bitcoin to help with relief operations. Twitter user onair_blair urged Bitcoin supporter and former Tonga lawmaker Lord Fusitu’a to set up a wallet address where people can donate bitcoins to Tonga relief funds.
Lord Fusitu’a responded with a BTC wallet address and a link where people can donate fiat to help with relief operations. The address has received a total of 0.10794983 BTC ($4,625.29) since yesterday.
And people have been donating, as can be seen in Twitter reports from various users saying where to donate or reporting their transactions.
Volcanic Energy
Coincidentally, a day earlier and just as he was talking about adopting BTC as a currency, Lord Fusitu’a told Cointelegraph about plans to use geothermal energy from volcanoes to power Bitcoin mining operations that would boost the country finances.
That also copies the model of El Salvador. The country has 21 volcanoes and, according to Lord Fusitu’a, each volcano produces at least 95,000 megawatts at all times, which leaves plenty to spare. According to his words, a single volcano could generate around $2,000 worth of Bitcoin daily and would belong to the families in Tonga.
By: Jenson Nuñez
