Crypto Shock! Ripple Throws $25M at US Classrooms—But in Monopoly Money (Sort Of)

If you’ve ever wondered what happens when a boatload of cryptocurrency collides headlong with American education—and, let’s face it, who among us hasn’t?—then rejoice. Ripple, a company whose raison d’être seems to straddle the line between moving money around and making headlines, has just hurled $25 million at education nonprofits DonorsChoose and Teach For America. But wait—it gets juicier! Most of this largesse will arrive in RLUSD, Ripple’s very own stablecoin. Because nothing says “practical classroom supply” like a teacher reassuring small children, “I can definitely buy that box of crayons…just as soon as I figure out how to off-ramp these tokens.” 🏫💸

Apparently, this is all about helping classrooms, teachers, and students discover the mysterious world of literacy, financial acumen, and the kind of STEM innovation that usually involves homemade volcanoes exploding on unsuspecting janitors. The announcement, timed with Teacher Appreciation Week, might lead one to believe this is all a ruse to secure the world’s largest collection of those “World’s Best Teacher” mugs, but Ripple insists it’s part of a “crypto meets philanthropy” strategy—presumably because “crypto meets confusion” was already taken.

Teachers power the future—and we’re proud to support them:

Starting with Teacher Appreciation Week, Ripple is committing $25M to U.S. classrooms through @DonorsChoose & Teach For America, supporting critical resources and financial literacy initiatives,…

— Ripple (@Ripple) May 5, 2025

So how, you might ask, does one inflate a school budget with RLUSD? This plucky token will fund everything from classroom wish lists on DonorsChoose to Teach For America’s Ignite tutoring program, as well as bankroll a National STEM Innovation Challenge, which isn’t a thing you can just say three times to summon Bill Nye, but I admit I tried.

New teachers—those brave, hopeful souls—also get help with training costs, while students are lined up for a crash course in financial literacy. Because when life gives you algebra homework and volatile fiat currency, why not throw crypto into the mix and really keep things spicy?

Promote education through crypto

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse—who seems to have a knack for making crypto sound both heroic and slightly confusing—says this is all about a “broader mission” to promote education and economic access. He assures us Ripple is partnering with heavyweights to “benefit thousands of classrooms.” Busy week, Brad.

“The use case for crypto in payments has never been stronger, and stablecoins like RLUSD are proving their value in real-world applications like donations and large-scale transactions. Especially when combined with an efficient blockchain network such as the XRP Ledger. They offer fast, low-cost transfers, free from middlemen and banking restrictions, making them ideal for moving significant amounts efficiently and transparently, as Ripple’s donation demonstrates,” Panos Mekras, CEO of Anodos Labs, one of the leading DeFi projects on XRPL, told crypto.news in a statement.

The big twist? This is the first time DonorsChoose and Teach For America are getting a chunk of their haul in anything other than good old U.S. dollars. If this catches on, lunch ladies everywhere will start demanding their paychecks in Bitcoin, and you’ll need gas fees just to make change for the snack machine. 🍏

The Giving Block—an actual company, not the world’s weirdest children’s toy—will handle the logistics so that teachers don’t have to moonlight as blockchain analysts. Stablecoins, apparently, now make up over half the on-chain hullabaloo, according to the folks at Chainalysis, who know these things.

Since 2018, Ripple’s philanthropic escapades have crossed the $200 million mark, mostly measured in dollars, but now, it seems, in increments of “blockchain bragging rights.” If nothing else, you have to admire the steady march of progress—from gold stars to gold tokens. Good luck to the teachers decoding their grant receipts! 🚀

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2025-05-05 17:27