Biography: Ukraine was invaded by Russia in early 2022, resulting in numerous crypto-related developments and initiatives throughout the year. One fundraising effort to help the people of Ukraine is the Unchain Fund, which aims to rally the cryptocurrency and blockchain community. Angled around blockchain and fintech, the public can donate to the fund via digital assets or payment cards. Funds donated go toward supplies such as food, medical assistance, shelter, etc. The team behind the fund includes Matter Labs co-founder Alex Gluchowski, Near Protocol co-founder Illia Polosukhin and others. The fund has garnered over $9 million in donations as of early 2023, almost entirely in crypto assets. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian government revamped its approach to crypto and became open to receiving such donations. Helping lead the overall technology movement in Ukraine is Mykhailo Fedorov. Born in 1991, Fedorov attended Zaporizhzhia National University in Ukraine, earning his degree from the school’s sociology and management department in 2014. After delving into business, he later made his way into Ukraine’s political world. A technology-focused leader, Fedorov became Ukraine’s vice prime minister and minister of digital transformation in 2019. Only 28 years old at the time of his appointment, Fedorov has since made waves by working with the Ministry of Digital Transformation on an app called Diia, which aimed to give Ukrainian citizens easy access to public services. Fedorov’s familiarity with the cryptocurrency space can be seen in some of his tweets posted amid Ukraine’s ongoing battle against Russia. His interest in the crypto and blockchain world aligns with his interest in increasing technology usage in Ukraine.