Giga, a UNICEF-ITU Initiative, Adopts Lido Impact Staking to Fund Global School Connectivity
Geneva, Switzerland, May 5th, 2025, Chainwire
The Giga initiative, dedicated to connecting every school to the internet by 2030, has adopted Lido Impact Staking (LIS) as a new, innovative financing model. By leveraging Ethereum staking returns, Giga can secure long-term funding while enabling donors to contribute without giving away their principal capital.
A New Model for Sustainable Impact
Giga, a partnership between UNICEF and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), helps governments to design, plan, negotiate funding and implement connectivity for schools worldwide.
Through Lido Impact Staking, institutional donors and individuals can stake their ETH and contribute a portion of their staking rewards to Giga. This approach introduces a sustainable funding model, where donors – now “impact stakers” – can support global connectivity efforts while keeping their capital intact.
“Innovative financing models like Lido Impact Staking allow us to accelerate school connectivity at scale,” said Gerben Kijne, Blockchain Product Lead at Unicef. “By leveraging blockchain technology and staking rewards, we can unlock new sources of funding to bridge the digital divide.”
How Lido Impact Staking Works
Lido Impact Staking enables ETH holders to allocate a percentage of their staking yield to high-impact projects like Giga. Unlike traditional donations, stakers retain full ownership of their principal, while their staking rewards are directed toward funding internet access for underserved schools.
With UNICEF Giga’s participation, LIS is establishing itself as a real-world use case for crypto-powered philanthropy, demonstrating how Ethereum staking can drive long-term social impact.
A Call for Institutional Support
Giga’s adoption of LIS also opens doors for institutional donors – corporations, foundations, and Web3 communities – seeking scalable, capital-efficient ways to support global initiatives. Organizations can now stake ETH for Giga and ensure sustained funding for school connectivity without touching their original assets.
Background
Impact Staking emerged as an innovative initiative following Ethereum’s transition to Proof of Stake, pioneered by the team at Launchnodes. Founded in April 2020, Launchnodes empowers users worldwide to solo stake Ethereum and operate their own Ethereum nodes without compromising custody or control over their assets.
In 2023, the Lido Ecosystem Grants Organization (LEGO) awarded Launchnodes a grant to develop an Impact Staking middleware that integrates seamlessly with Lido’s scalable, battle-tested middleware. This led to the creation of Lido Impact Staking (LIS).
Today, the LIS team collaborates with NGOs, governments, philanthropic foundations, family offices, and social impact donors who recognize the transformative potential of Impact Staking. By channelling staking rewards into meaningful causes, this model introduces a sustainable, blockchain-driven approach to philanthropy.
About Giga and Lido Impact Staking
Launched in 2019, Giga seeks to connect the estimated three million schools still without internet access. Online learning opens a world of information to students and teachers, and enables inclusive lifelong learning and socio-economic growth. Giga is currently engaged in 39 countries. Lido Impact Staking (LIS) is a decentralized impact funding mechanism that facilitates philanthropy by allowing ETH stakers to donate a portion of their staking rewards to social impact projects. Built on Lido’s liquid staking protocol, LIS enables sustainable, long-term funding for initiatives like Giga.
To learn more and become an impact staker for Giga, users can visit:
Contacts
Akunna Ibe
Giga – UNICEF/ITU
aibe@unicef.org
Andrei Druta
Lido Impact Staking
andrei@impactstake.com
