Trinity receives first philanthropic donation in cryptocurrency
Posted on: 20 November 2025
The funds will be used to support Pathways to Business, a programme run by Trinity Business School and Trinity Access Programmes that bridges gaps for second-level and undergraduate students from underrepresented backgrounds, helping them pursue careers in business.
Trinity College Dublin has become the first university in Ireland to receive a philanthropic donation in cryptocurrency.
The donation of €25,000 in stablecoins is from software technology firm Aave Labs, a pioneer in decentralised finance, including Aave Protocol, the world’s largest platform for earning interest, borrowing, and saving in stablecoins, as well as Aave stablecoin GHO, Horizon — a platform for institutional DeFi, and the recently announced Aave App for consumer saving.
The funds will be used to support Pathways to Business, a programme run by Trinity Business School and Trinity Access Programmes that bridges gaps for second-level and undergraduate students from underrepresented backgrounds, helping them pursue careers in business.
The donation was facilitated by the partnership of Trinity’s related charity in the US, the University of Dublin Fund, with The Giving Block, the world’s largest digital asset philanthropy platform.
This initiative underscores Trinity’s commitment to innovation and to embracing new forms of philanthropy at a time when Irish universities continue to face significant funding pressures.
Professor Laurent Muzellec, Dean of Trinity Business School (above on right), said: “Philanthropy plays a vital role in sustaining our mission to deliver world-class education and research that positively impact business and society. With higher education in Ireland facing acute underfunding, it is crucial that we continue to explore new opportunities for global support. Accepting cryptocurrency donations allows us to embrace digital transformation while expanding and diversifying our donor community.”
Stani Kulechov, Founder of Aave Labs (above, centre), said: “We are proud to be the first to support this initiative, which expands ways to contribute to Trinity. With more people and institutions holding stablecoins and other digital assets, this initiative makes giving simpler and more inclusive.”
Lory Kehoe, Adjunct Professor at Trinity Business School (lecturing on blockchain and digital currency) and Aave Labs EU Country Director (above on left), said: “From early talks about a crypto donation to Trinity to now seeing Aave Labs make the first gift to an Irish university, it is fantastic to see Trinity Business School put innovation into practice and open new ways to support Pathways to Business.”
Donors are invited to support scholarships, research, and campus capital projects. Donors can make their cryptocurrency gift to the Trinity College Dublin at https://thegivingblock.com/donate/university-of-dublin-fund/
Donations from the United States will be received by the University of Dublin Fund (‘UoD’), a registered 501(c)(3) entity, enabling donors to benefit from appropriate tax receipts. The UoD, a registered charity in New York that allows donors make tax efficient gifts in support of Trinity, has partnered with the Giving Block, an online philanthropy platform that enables nonprofits to receive cryptocurrency donations safely and securely and then convert those donations into US dollars, virtually instantaneously. This removes any risk of volatility associated with the receipt of this type of donation.
This announcement comes in the run up to the annual day of giving, Giving Tuesday, which takes place this year on Tuesday, 2 December 2025.
ENDS
Media Contact:
Catherine O’Mahony | Media Relations | catherine.omahony@tcd.ie