President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy is the first wartime leader since Winston Churchill to speak before a joint session of the United States Congress.

Donning his trademark army green T-shirt, Zelenskyy’s visit to the US was inspiring and timely. It was his first trip abroad since the start of the country’s war with Russia and came as Congress decided on $45 billion in additional aid that the biden administration is recommending as part of a $1.7 trillion funding bill needed to keep the US government functioning.

Zelenskyy said in his speech to Congress: “Against all odds and pessimistic scenarios, Ukraine did not fall. Ukraine is alive and well. And it gives me a good reason to share with you our first, first joint victory: We defeated Russia in battle by the minds of the world.”

The crypto world could benefit from that kind of ferocity in the face of danger. Crypto has also been part of the history of supporting Ukraine.

Winter crises lead to innovation

In his address to Congress, Zelenskyy addressed the people of the US, the world, and Ukraine as they entered a winter that Russian attacks on Ukraine’s power grid and infrastructure will be exacerbated.

But for a crypto industry going through its own metaphorical winter, his words may apply as well: The industry faces significant hurdles, even though it has won many hearts and minds. Crypto is also on an existential search for legitimacy.

Ukraine and cryptocurrencies are forever entwined in history, especially at the beginning of Putin’s “special military operations” because it became a major use case to support the value of cryptocurrencies in times of crisis.

Cryptocurrency donations were important for the ability to cross international borders despite closed transfers between national banks in the region. Donating in cryptocurrency helped money arrive faster and more reliably, and the Ukrainian government recognized the need for cryptocurrency adoption.

In March, the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine issued a statement accelerating the legalization of cryptocurrencies in the country. Zalenskyy signed into law the virtual assets bill that freed up $100 million in donations that came after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine requested private donations in crypto in Twitter and on their website. The Ukrainian government website currently accepts donations via bank transfer, credit card, PayPal, and cryptocurrency.

According to crystal analysisUkraine had received over $184 million in crypto donations as of November 30, 2022. Of the crypto donated, 61% went to support military efforts and 39% to humanitarian aid.

Most of the donations were made in Ethereal EUR/USDtotaling approximately $56 million, $44.5 million were realized in Tie USDT/USD and $38.4 million in Bitcoin USD/BTC.

Crypto is only a small part of the donations in general. A March statement from the National Bank of Ukraine showed that more than $6 billion Ukrainian hryvnia (UAH) was transferred to a special military account and more than $253.5 million UAH was received in foreign fiat currency.

Recently, UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), announced that it was working with the Stellar Development Foundation (SDF) to launch a blockchain-based payment distribution system, the first of its kind, to bring funds to displaced people within Ukraine. So, crypto has secured a valuable role on the global stage.

AI and Web3 power healthcare in Ukraine

vidbya Swiss-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) that provides automated video translation and dubbing services in 70 languages, was working with Harvard University to provide Ukrainian-translated videos that help train doctors and military personnel who provide medical care. in the Ukrainian war zone.

In an already vastly interconnected world, human language barriers can be one of the biggest impediments to instant communication. Vidby was starting with the hard part, providing highly specialized translations that have zero tolerance for errors by providing information that can save lives.

benzinga interviewed Eugen von RubenbergVidby CEO and Co-Founder, to learn more about how the association was formed and how AI translation will power Web3 and a more interconnected world with fewer communication barriers.

BZ: How did your association with Harvard University begin?
Emergencies: When we first came to Harvard University, they told us they didn’t need our services. They were dissatisfied with either type of provider because their videos “frankly didn’t translate correctly.”

As soon as they heard that Vidby specialized in innovative AI technologies, they immediately said, “No, we’ve already done our research, we’ve already done our due diligence, and we’re definitely not interested in any kind of additional machine translation software.” .”

BZ: How did you persuade them to try your services?

Emergencies: We said let’s only make a translation as complicated as you want it to be. It was quite a complicated translation.

In the review, they found only 1.5 small errors in the translation. The word semiconductors was mistranslated to wires. That was the only mistake.

BZ: What is the difference between Vidby and other text transcription AI solutions?

Emergencies: No other software on the market can differentiate these complicated subject-related words, whether related to healthcare or other industries, and we have a software mechanism in which different dialects, accents, industries and specializations can be correctly identified and translated and in the local language. dialect. It is universal and with machine translation that can identify how to communicate certain words effectively.

BZ: Is the language barrier one of the great impediments to world communication?

Emergencies: It absolutely is. It’s the biggest sector right now. The main problem in the world is communication. And artificial intelligence is going to change the world. Soon everyone will be able to watch and listen to every video in a very cost-effective, fast, and very high-quality way that hasn’t been seen on the market yet.

Right now, we have video translation as a feature. Early next year, we will offer synchronization so that both parties can speak in their local languages ​​when having a phone conversation. That way, you can talk to someone in China, Japan, or anywhere in the world, and you’ll be able to hear them in your local language. The goal is to make it available to everyone for daily use.

BZ: Was healthcare always part of the original vision? Or did the attack on Ukraine create a pressing need?

Emergencies: The best ideas are born from the crisis. our co-founder [Alexander Konovalov] He only speaks Russian and Ukrainian. Out of a need to communicate with the outside world when you don’t know the exact words, that’s how it evolved.

BZ: Is Web3 a growth area for AI translation?

Emergencies: At Web3, they are currently working on ideas. They have ideas right now. But it is too soon to give concrete information. It’s something we can share next year.

BZ: In March, Vidby had a token sale. Has Web3 been an important part of your fundraising?

Emergencies: We’ve seen a lot of advantages going into Web3. When you live in Switzerland, you are in the middle of the Crypto Valley and you are surrounded by amazing crypto thought leaders.

Vidby followed the principle that one token equals one share, and we use the Ethereal EUR/USD block chain. We have seen that it has many advantages when it comes to communicating with your investors in a much more efficient and effective way, especially on the app, where we have general meetings. We see that there are many benefits to going into that area, and we are working on ideas to expand further and solidify the way forward in Web3.

More about Videy and Ukraine

In collaboration with Harvard University, Vidby translated 21 training videos from English into Ukrainian, taking care of the pronunciation and emphasis on each word to deliver an accurate result that could help convey crucial medical information and save lives. The videos were posted on the Global Medical Knowledge Alliance YouTube channel.

One of the few positive aspects of this persistently bear market, within the cryptocurrency world and beyond, is that Web3 projects are focused on providing real utility. Crisis leads to innovation, as von Rubinberg said.

If during the holiday season you want to make a donation to the Ukrainian Red Cross, you can do so safely on their site. And a reminder, if you wish to donate using crypto, the Ukrainian government site gratefully accepts that form of payment.

Photo: Alexandra_Koch from Pixabay.