$12,000 in Crypto Given to New Yorkers — With No Strings Attached

Core Insights - A new initiative in the US involves 160 individuals receiving $12,000 in cryptocurrency over five months, aimed at providing direct financial support to low-income young adults [1][2] Group 1: Program Details - Participants are aged 18 to 30 and based in New York, receiving an initial $8,000 in USDC stablecoin, followed by five installments of $800 each [2] - The program is a collaboration between Coinbase and GiveDirectly, which has distributed $95.5 million to over 140,000 people in the past year [1] Group 2: Objectives and Benefits - The primary aim is to enhance financial wellbeing, housing stability, and educational opportunities for participants [2] - The initiative also seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of larger lump sum payments and the efficiency of USDC in terms of delivery and administrative costs [2][3] - Early advantages noted include faster cash access for recipients due to the nature of USDC payments [2] Group 3: Cost Efficiency - The cost of issuing USDC payments is minimal, with only $0.26 spent to issue the first 160 $800 payments, making it significantly cheaper than traditional prepaid debit cards [3] - Cost savings allow for more funds to be directed to recipients [3] Group 4: Flexibility and Financial Inclusion - Participants were informed about potential downsides of investing in volatile cryptocurrencies, but they are not restricted from converting USDC into other cryptocurrencies [4] - The program offers flexibility, allowing recipients to transfer funds to bank accounts, use a Coinbase debit card, or keep funds in a wallet earning 4.1% interest [4]