Community Honors Hal Finney with Bitcoin Fund for ALS Research

A group of prominent bitcoin figures and companies have teamed up raise funds to combat the disease ALS.

AccessTimeIconAug 30, 2014 at 2:10 p.m. UTC
Updated Aug 18, 2021 at 3:15 p.m. UTC

Presented By Icon

Election 2024 coverage presented by

Stand with crypto

In the wake of bitcoin groundbreaker Hal Finney's passing a few days ago, some prominent figures in the bitcoin community have teamed up in a campaign to raise funds for research into amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

  • Bitcoin Mining in the U.S. Will Become 'a Lot More Decentralized': Core Scientific CEO
    13:18
    Bitcoin Mining in the U.S. Will Become 'a Lot More Decentralized': Core Scientific CEO
  • Binance to Discontinue Its Nigerian Naira Services After Government Scrutiny
    05:10
    Binance to Discontinue Its Nigerian Naira Services After Government Scrutiny
  • The first video of the year 2024
    04:07
    The first video of the year 2024
  • The last regression video of the year 3.67.0
    40:07
    The last regression video of the year 3.67.0
  • , co-founder of Coinapult, Jason King of Sean’s Outpost, bitcoin evangelist Roger VerBitPay and the Bitcoin Foundation have collaborated to provide a way to donate bitcoin to ALS research.

    Bitcoin Foundation chief scientist Gavin Andresen made the video above to kick off the campaign, named the Hal Finney Bitcoin Fund for ALS Research.

    The main donation address is here. Donations will be accepted through the Thanksgiving holiday (27th November) in the US and the payment will be made on 2nd December.

    Voting for a recipient

    Since the ALS Association does not yet accept bitcoin donations, the Hal Finney Bitcoin Fund will accept nominations for a number of ALS organizations responsibly contributing to ALS research, and allow the community to vote on which organization will receive the bitcoins.

    BitPay, which will handle the funds, has a 0% transaction fee policy for non-profit organisations, including this one, ensuring that 100% of donors' funds will go to the research organization selected.

    The Bitcoin Foundation has donated the first $100 to the campaign in honor of Finney and his contribution to the bitcoin project.

    Spreading ALS awareness

    ALS, also known as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease", is a fatal, progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Over time, motor neurons degenerate and the person loses motor functionality and muscles begin to atrophy.

    was first diagnosed with the disease in 2009, not long after he assisted Satoshi Nakamoto in getting bitcoin off the ground. It forced him to retire from work in 2011.

    ALS research is also the target of a social media campaign that has gone viral in recent weeks, in which participants dump buckets of iced water over their heads and nominate peers and associates to do the same, if not donate to the ALS Association. The campaign has drenched some of the world's most influential people, including Bill Gates and former US president George W. Bush, among others.

    Disclaimer: CoinDesk founder Shakil Khan is an investor in BitPay.

    Disclosure

    Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information have been updated.

    CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk has adopted a set of principles aimed at ensuring the integrity, editorial independence and freedom from bias of its publications. CoinDesk is part of the Bullish group, which owns and invests in digital asset businesses and digital assets. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive Bullish group equity-based compensation. Bullish was incubated by technology investor Block.one.


    Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk's longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.