Is the bull market over? Or has bitcoin's market structure changed? The Bitcoin Checkpoint is out now!
There’s a phrase whispered in bitcoin circles that stays true across cycles: fix the money, fix the world. If better money yields better institutions, then charitable giving should reflect that, too. Today, on DAF Day, a day of community giving via donor‑advised funds, we’re inviting donors to bring bitcoin’s strengths to philanthropy. DAFs are the fastest‑growing vehicle in philanthropy, with 2+ million givers and $250B+ committed; the 2025 DAF Fundraising Report found DAF giving grew 30% in 2024 while non‑DAF giving fell 1%, and donors often give more (sometimes dramatically more) once they switch to a DAF. Those signals are clear: when donors have a strategic, tax‑efficient home for gifts, generosity scales.
A donor‑advised fund (DAF) is straightforward: contribute assets, receive an immediate tax deduction for fair‑market value, let those assets grow tax‑free, then recommend grants over time. Gannett Wealth Advisors uses a memorable metaphor: the DAF is a lily pad between your holdings and the charity, an intentional pause that makes giving smarter. This is especially powerful for appreciated bitcoin: by donating BTC directly, you can avoid capital gains taxes and deduct the coin’s fair‑market value.
On‑chain philanthropy: Unchained + UI Charitable
Many DAF sponsors typically liquidate bitcoin to dollars. Unchained and UI Charitable offer something different: bitcoin‑native DAFs that keep donations on‑chain and in collaborative custody. Your bitcoin stays safe in a 2‑of‑3 multisig vault where the donor, Unchained, and UI Charitable each hold a key. No single party can move funds unilaterally, and you can independently verify your donation on the blockchain. For nonprofits not yet set up to accept BTC, grants can be converted to dollars; otherwise, charities can receive bitcoin directly.
UI Charitable brings the sponsor role, infrastructure, and compliance that make giving easy for donors, advisors, and organizations. As with any DAF, contributions are irrevocable gifts to the public charity sponsor; the sponsor has exclusive legal control, while you retain advisory privileges to recommend grants. The result is a rare combination: self‑custody principles, on‑chain transparency, and philanthropic simplicity in one structure.
Keeping donations in BTC can eliminate exchange fees, preserve upside for the end cause, and maintain clear, auditable provenance. Donors get a deduction based on current fair‑market value and avoid capital‑gains taxes on appreciated BTC, one of many reasons bitcoin giving through DAFs is surging. As our CEO Joe Kelly put it: “By harnessing the power of bitcoin for charitable donations, we’re not only maximizing the financial benefits for donors but also amplifying the impact they can make on the causes they care about.”
This isn’t hypothetical. In 2024, Unchained’s DAF with UI Charitable facilitated the first‑ever bitcoin grant to Base58, a 1.0 BTC grant to the Human Rights Foundation, and helped kick off a $5 million bitcoin endowment for the University of Austin. The program is part of a broader philanthropic push: Unchained committed to matching DAF donations up to 1 BTC for select organizations, including MIT Media Lab’s Digital Currency Initiative, Human Rights Foundation, OpenSats, and Brink. The wider trend line is up and to the right: by some counts, $2B+ in bitcoin has been donated since 2017, evidence that digital asset philanthropy is here to stay.
DAF Day (today, October 9!) is about deploying generosity, not parking it. DAFs make giving more strategic, efficient, and scalable. Unchained’s bitcoin‑native DAF, in partnership with UI Charitable, adds self‑custody, on‑chain verification, and donor peace of mind. If you believe better money can improve the world, here’s a practical way to prove it: contribute bitcoin to a DAF, hold it securely and transparently, and fund the builders, educators, and human‑rights advocates, and many others who make lasting change.
This information is educational only and cannot be relied upon as tax advice. It has not been catered to your individual tax circumstances. Donations held in bitcoin may fluctuate in value, which could increase or decrease the eventual grant amount. Unchained makes no representations regarding the tax consequences of any structure described herein, and all such questions should be directed to an attorney, CPA, or other tax advisor of your choice.
