Ripple donates $50,000 in RLUSD to support LA wildfires victims

Ripple has teamed up with MoonPay to donate $50,000 worth of RLUSD to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation.

The funds are going directly to the first responders battling California’s relentless wildfires. Ripple said it’s evaluating additional ways to help.

California is burning. The wildfires ripping through Los Angeles have left behind destruction on an unimaginable scale. At least 11 people are dead, though the real toll is likely higher as authorities comb through obliterated neighborhoods.

Over 12,000 structures are gone, and entire streets have been wiped out. These fires are raging in areas where wildfires are almost unheard of. Dry weather and unrelenting winds have fueled five major blazes, leaving firefighters scrambling to contain them.

Just two days ago, Ripple announced that Chainlink would now provide real-time RLUSD pricing data, making it easier for decentralized finance (DeFi) developers to integrate the stablecoin into lending, trading, and other applications.

Users can also connect smart contract apps to off-chain APIs through Chainlink’s decentralized data feeds, a move Ripple says will boost RLUSD’s use cases.

Fires stretch resources to the limit

The Palisades Fire has already burned through 21,000 acres. As of now, it’s only 8% contained, with evacuation orders spreading to Encino. Over in Pasadena, the Eaton Fire has scorched 14,000 acres and is barely 3% under control.

Officials are bracing for even more powerful winds early next week, a development that could push the situation from catastrophic to apocalyptic.

Governor Gavin Newsom is furious. Firefighters faced water pressure failures at hydrants, and water supplies from the Santa Ynez Reservoir didn’t show up when they were needed most. Newsom has called for an independent investigation, demanding answers for why California’s resources failed during one of its worst fire seasons ever.

Personal tragedies are stacking up as fast as the fire spreads. Two residents were killed trying to save their homes. Another victim, a man who couldn’t evacuate because his son had cerebral palsy, perished alongside his child.

One story stands out for how brutally these fires can upend lives. A 70-year-old woman lost her home and, with it, her entire life savings. Her nephew shared the heartbreaking details on X.

The woman’s savings were in crypto, and her private key—the only way to access her holdings—was written on a piece of paper stored in the house. That paper, along with her funds, went up in flames. Her crypto holdings were mostly in Bitcoin, and without backups, they’re permanently gone.

Hollywood is also throwing its weight behind relief efforts. Celebrities are writing checks, using their platforms, and rallying the entertainment industry to help wildfire victims.

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