Mercy Corps Ventures Introduces ETH Staking Donations to Fuel Blockchain for Financial Inclusion

April 02, 2025 at 11:00 AM EDT

--News Direct--

Mercy Corps Ventures (MCV) is launching a new way for donors to support blockchain-based financial inclusion - by staking Ethereum. Through a partnership with Lido Impact Staking (LIS), supporters can now stake ETH and allocate a portion of their staking rewards to MCV’s Crypto for Good Fund, which backs Web3 startups tackling financial inequality in emerging markets.

A Smarter Way to Give: Staking Rewards for Impact

For years, Mercy Corps Ventures has been at the forefront of funding blockchain solutions that expand financial access - from decentralized lending platforms to transparent aid distribution systems. Now, through Lido Impact Staking, donors can contribute sustainably and continuously without giving up their principal capital.

"We believe in harnessing the power of blockchain to create financial opportunities for those who need it most," said Scott Onder, Chief Investment Officer at Mercy Corps. "By allowing donors to stake ETH and contribute a share of their staking rewards, we’re unlocking a new form of philanthropic capital that supports the next generation of Web3 solutions for global financial inclusion."

How It Works: Turning Staking Rewards into Social Impact

Lido Impact Staking enables ETH holders to support impact-driven initiatives while continuing to earn yield on their assets. With this new model, MCV supporters can:

✅ Stake ETH and earn staking rewards

✅ Donate a portion of these rewards to the Crypto for Good Fund

✅ Help fund blockchain startups that drive financial inclusion

This approach provides a long-term funding stream for projects focused on:

🔹 Banking the unbanked through DeFi solutions

🔹 Providing digital identity for financial access

🔹 Revolutionizing aid distribution with transparent, blockchain-based mechanisms

Unlike traditional philanthropy, this model allows donors to give without depleting their principal assets, making it an efficient and sustainable way to fund impact-driven blockchain projects.

Mercy Corps Ventures & Lido Impact Staking: Pioneering a New Era of Giving

Mercy Corps Ventures has been a leader in leveraging blockchain for financial resilience since 2018. With its Crypto for Good Fund, MCV has partnered with over 30 protocols and startups to reach over 3,000,000 users and provide innovative financial solutions for underserved communities

Lido Impact Staking (LIS) introduces a new way to fund social impact using Ethereum staking rewards, creating a sustainable model for crypto-powered philanthropy. This initiative builds on Lido’s liquid staking infrastructure, making it seamless for donors to support Web3 for good.

Engaging Institutions & Crypto Communities

This new model opens the door for institutional donors, corporate partners, and Web3 communities to fund meaningful impact initiatives in a capital-efficient way. Organizations that want to support financial inclusion through blockchain can now stake ETH and commit a share of their rewards to MCV - ensuring continuous funding for transformative solutions.

Get Involved: Stake for a More Inclusive Future

With Ethereum staking, impact-driven donations can scale like never before. Mercy Corps Ventures invites donors, institutions, and crypto supporters to be part of this movement and stake ETH for a future where blockchain technology empowers underserved communities worldwide.

About

The rise of Ethereum staking opened new possibilities, not just for yield generation but for sustainable, blockchain-powered philanthropy. Recognizing this potential, Launchnodes, a company that enables solo staking at an institutional level, pioneered Impact Staking. It is a model that channels staking rewards into funding high-impact initiatives without requiring donors to part with their principal capital.

In 2023, the Lido Ecosystem Grants Organization (LEGO) provided support to develop Impact Staking middleware, seamlessly integrating with Lido’s liquid staking solution. This innovation laid the foundation for Lido Impact Staking (LIS) - a tool designed to redirect staking rewards toward social good, creating a continuous and scalable funding model for mission-driven projects.

Today, LIS is forging partnerships with NGOs, social enterprises, and blockchain-for-good initiatives like Mercy Corps Ventures (MCV), which supports early-stage startups leveraging Web3 to increase financial access and economic resilience in underserved markets. Through Impact Staking, donors and institutions can provide long-term financial support to these projects, ensuring sustainable funding flows to solutions that drive real-world impact.

By merging decentralized finance with social good, Impact Staking is proving that crypto can be a powerful force for economic empowerment, financial inclusion, and global resilience.

To learn more and become an impact staker for MCV, visit:

🌍 mercycorps.impactstake.com