UNICEF Australia is using Coinhive — a crypto-mining service — to extract cryptocurrency through visitors’ computers and fund its ongoing mission in Bangladesh. The UN branch has long worked to provide humanitarian relief for both children and their mothers in developing nations. The organization has now created what representatives call the “Hope Page,” which allows users to donate through cryptocurrency.
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UNICEF’s Director of Fundraising and Communications Jennifer Tierney explained[2], “We wanted to leverage new emerging technologies to raise awareness about current humanitarian crises and raise new funds to support children caught up in them. The Hope Page allows Australians to provide help and hope to vulnerable children by simply opening the page when they are online.”
Coinhive’s partnership with UNICEF could help to foster a more positive image for the software. Up until this point, Coinhive has widely been associated with a process known as “cryptojacking,” in which the computer processing power of individuals visiting certain sites is used to mine Monero without their knowledge or permission. In the past, Coinhive has targeted everything from government websites[3] to even Google and YouTube users[4]. As a result, Coinhive has been listed amongst the largest threats[5] to web security.
In this case, UNICEF is using the software’s opt-in method to ensure visitors are aware of the organization’s intentions. While searching the Hope Page, web browsers use computer processors to solve cryptocurrency algorithms. Those examining the site can choose how much power (typically between 20 and 80 percent[6]) they wish to donate to the task.
The website explains that the mining process is completely safe and offers the following instructional message:
“The longer you stay on the page and the more processor power you donate,
