Bitcoin Donations for Tonga Tsunami Relief Tracked via Blockchain

Coin WorldSunday, Apr 13, 2025 6:37 am ET
3min read

In January 2022, the Kingdom of Tonga faced a catastrophic event when the Hunga Tonga and Hunga Ha'apai underwater volcano erupted, triggering a tsunami with waves reaching up to 1.2 meters. This natural disaster caused immediate physical damage to homes and infrastructure, and critically severed Tonga's submarine cable network, effectively cutting the island nation off from the rest of the world. The tsunami left citizens fleeing to higher ground, with immediate concerns focusing on air and water contamination. Beyond the physical damage, a critical problem emerged: with traditional communication networks down, how could aid reach those affected?

In this moment of crisis, Lord Fusitu'a, a former Tongan lawmaker and Bitcoin advocate, established a Bitcoin wallet to receive donations for relief efforts. During the disaster, Tonga had limited satellite connectivity through providers, though these connections were constrained. The question of whether Bitcoin transactions could effectively reach the island during this communication blackout remained uncertain. While some crypto advocates suggested that Bitcoin could function as an alternative financial channel when traditional systems failed, the practical implementation of this during the Tongan crisis lacks clear documentation. The underwater cable damage significantly impaired communications, with most connection lines potentially down for up to two weeks.

Following the disaster, Lord Fusitu'a set up a Bitcoin wallet with the address bc1qmn6ddugyj853vgmcvljs5te6rl9teuhz6t5cun to receive donations for relief efforts. According to blockchain data, the address bc1qmn6ddugyj853vgmcvljs5te6rl9teuhz6t5cun had 421 transactions on the Bitcoin blockchain. The last balance change was on November 26, 2022. It had received a total of 0.55640009 BTC and had sent a total of 0.55640009 BTC. The current balance of this address is 0 BTC. This data is corroborated by blockchain explorers which shows that this address has transacted 421 times on the Bitcoin blockchain. It has received a total of 0.55640009 BTC and has sent a total of 0.55640009 BTC. The current value of this address is 0.00000000 BTC. These blockchain records confirm that the wallet received exactly 0.55640009 BTC through 421 separate transactions. The blockchain explorers also verify that all funds were eventually transferred out, as the wallet currently shows a zero balance, with the last transaction occurring on November 26, 2022, approximately 10 months after the disaster.

Using blockchain explorers to trace the Bitcoin donations, we can see exactly where the funds were transferred. The wallet address received a total of 0.55640009 BTC through 421 separate transactions, with the wallet now showing a zero balance as all funds were transferred out. The transaction history reveals that the majority of the funds (0.53275717 BTC) were sent to another wallet address in a single transaction on January 26, 2022. This transaction represented approximately 96% of all the donations received. Further investigation into this destination wallet shows that the funds remained there for approximately three months until April 18, 2022, by which time the wallet balance had grown to approximately 27.4 BTC through additional deposits. On that date, almost all funds were withdrawn in a coordinated series of transactions, with the vast majority going to yet another wallet address. As of today, both Lord Fusitu'a's original donation wallet and the intermediary wallet show zero balances, with all funds having been transferred elsewhere. Without additional information about who controls these subsequent wallets, it remains impossible to determine if any of these funds ever reached the government treasury or were used for tsunami relief efforts.

Further investigation reveals additional insights into the destination wallet address. This wallet is connected to another Bitcoin address, which has transacted 51 times on the Bitcoin blockchain. According to blockchain explorers, this address has received a total of 85.74384128 BTC, sent a total of 85.51491921 BTC, and has a current balance of 0.22892207 BTC. Despite being able to trace the movement of funds through the blockchain, critical questions remain unanswered. The primary question is whether any of these Bitcoin donations actually reached the government treasury. If they did, why was there no press release or public acknowledgment from the government at that time? The complete lack of official documentation regarding the receipt or distribution of these funds raises important transparency concerns. While we can see that funds moved from Lord Fusitu'a's wallet to an intermediary wallet and then to another destination, it is impossible to determine who controls these subsequent wallets at this point in time without additional off-chain information. This creates a disconnect between on-chain transparency and real-world accountability, especially when used for disaster relief efforts where public trust is essential but the local government has not adopted the use of cryptocurrency as legal tender. The current balance of both Lord Fusitu'a's donation wallet and the intermediary wallet is 0.00000000 BTC, with no activity in the original donation wallet since November 26, 2022.

The Tonga Bitcoin donation case presents a fascinating blockchain investigation that continues to unfold. The remarkable transparency of blockchain technology allows us to meticulously track every movement of funds from the initial donations to their subsequent transfers across multiple wallets. We have precise records showing total donations received, the number of transactions, and a significant transfer of funds to another wallet address. Further investigation uncovered additional details about the destination wallet. The address, connected to another Bitcoin address, shows 51 total blockchain transactions, total received, total sent, and current balance. We can render this investigation as far from over. If our commitment is to continue tracing these funds, connecting on-chain transactions with real-world evidence. The potential of blockchain technology for transparent disaster relief remains significant, and we will persistently work to bridge the gap between digital transactions and their actual impact.

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