Canadian Blockchain Consortium Members Come Together to Support the Brain-Computer Interface Program at the Glenrose Hospital
The Canadian Blockchain Consortium held its annual Canadian Blockchain Summit last week in Calgary, Alberta. Attendees included individuals and organizations from across Canada who are engaged in the financial technology and blockchain ecosystems. As the first hospital foundation in Alberta to accept cryptocurrencies as donations, Glenrose Foundation staff were thrilled to attend and further the conversation around crypto-philanthropy.
During the event, the Canadian Blockchain Consortium announced a commitment to raise $100,000 towards the brain-computer interface program (BCI) at the Glenrose Hospital, through member donations and other fundraising efforts, over the next two years.
What is BCI?
BCI allows people with significant movement difficulties to control devices, such as environmental controls, video games, robots, or power wheelchairs, using only their minds. A non-invasive headset worn by the user picks up brain signals, which are interpreted by a computer which learns to control a device directly, without needing to rely on the user’s physical movements. The program is currently focused on children and includes research projects along with clinical applications. BCI is life-changing technology that allows individuals with disabilities to create, play and engage with their environments in ways never thought possible.
Glenrose Hospital patients have been using BCI to create art using only their minds. One young patient, Olivia, donated two of her paintings to the Glenrose Foundation, which were then minted as non-fungible tokens (NFT’s) and sold at the event.
Watch Olivia create art with her mind
Generosity of the Blockchain Community
The first painting, Brain Storming 1, was purchased by NDAX, a Canadian crypto trading platform, for $10,000.
The second painting, Brain Storming 2, was purchased by iMining Technologies, a web 3.0 technology company for an additional $10,000.
After the first day of the event, $27,000 had already been raised towards the Canadian Blockchain Consortium’s campaign, including the proceeds from raffle items donated by Binance, a blockchain ecosystem and crypto exchange. Amazingly, NDAX also donated another $3,000 to bring the total to $30,000, tripling the goal of the event!
Programs like BCI rely on community support, and we are beyond grateful to NDAX, iMining Technologies and all the Canadian Blockchain Consortium members for helping us to fuel further advancements in rehabilitation.
Donations towards the Canadian Blockchain Consortium’s BCI fundraising campaign can be made in either crypto or Canadian dollars here.
