Coala Pay

When you're solving urgent real-world problems, learning new technology often takes a backseat. ? For humanitarian organizations, the challenge isn’t just adopting blockchain—it’s making it work within the constraints of crisis response. Melyn McKay (Ph.D.), founder of Coala Pay, shares how her team is bridging that gap, making blockchain an asset instead of a hurdle. From improving transparency to reducing delays in aid distribution, blockchain has the potential to transform how relief efforts are funded. But for that to happen, the technology must be designed for those on the front lines—not just those building it. How do we build financial tools that truly serve people?

?? ?? ?? There's been a lot of talk about aid sector transparency lately. The truth is, international aid organisations spend a lot of their time tracking dollars spent and people reached. So much time, in fact, it can actually get in the way of delivering life saving aid. Blockchain makes it easier to track spending, which in turn means humanitarians can spend less time counting change and more time making it.

The aid sector is evolving fast, and so are we!?? Our team will be at?#ETHDenver?this week, ready to connect with anyone passionate about innovating for real impact.??? Whether you’re curious about our work, looking for partnerships, or simply want to talk solutions, come say hello. We believe that by combining fresh thinking, tech, and collaboration, we can transform lives—one project at a time.? ???Let’s spark new ideas together! ?? Kourtney R.

???The aid sector is facing major challenges, and we all need to evolve, innovate, and embrace new ways of working to ensure we don’t cause more harm to the communities we serve. ?? That’s why we are beyond excited to welcome Kourtney R. to the Coala Pay team! With 15+ years of experience working with NGOs and U.S. and U.K. donors, Kourtney is ready to help us lead the charge in transforming the sector.Together with an incredible team, we’re confident that we can help our partners navigate this turbulent time and continue delivering lifesaving support in some of the world’s toughest environments.?? ???Kourtney will be at #ethdenver — don’t hesitate to reach out and connect if you’re looking to make a real impact!??? Welcome aboard, Kourtney ?? Let’s change the world together!???

?? Web3 for Good Hong Kong – Just the Beginning! ?? A huge THANK YOU to all the NGOs, speakers, and sponsors who made Web3 for Good HK a success! Your insights, energy, and commitment to impact-driven innovation are what truly made this event special. This first edition was just the start—we’re turning this into a movement. Given the enthusiasm and engagement, we’re already looking ahead to 2025 for more action, collaboration, and real-world solutions. ?? If you couldn’t join us but are in Hong Kong and want to be part of this journey, drop a comment or send us a message to stay connected. Go support : ??? HandsOn Hong Kong ?? Hong Kong Shark Foundation ?? AIDS Concern Let’s keep building Web3 for Good together! ??? Huge thanks to our partners for making this event possible! ???? Cyberport Hong Kong - In Lieu - Mindfulness Capital & Thomas Ao - Lutech Global - MetaEra

From Crisis Zones to Coala Pay: A Journey of Impact We are thrilled to welcome Alejandro Guzman to Coala Pay ??, bringing over 15 years of frontline humanitarian experience to our mission. ?? Career Highlights: Afghanistan: Ensured health services for 20M+ people post-US withdrawal and secured salaries for nearly 200,000 teachers to keep schools open. South Sudan: Led emergency food delivery for nearly 2M displaced individuals, averting famine during the civil war. ?? Why Coala Pay is his next step ? A desire to turn challenges into solutions. After years of navigating complex aid delivery systems, Alejandro is driven to revolutionize how impact is achieved—using technology to bring transparency, efficiency, and accountability to the field. ?? Welcome aboard, Alejandro! Together, we’re building a better way to make a difference.

Proud to announce we recently closed a seed round led by Castle Island Ventures. We are deeply grateful for the continued support of our early backers, Lattice , Factor Capital , and CV VC, and excited about bringing in some new supporters, Reflexive Capital, Commerce Ventures, and Mindfulness Capital. We also have the best strategic angels we could ever hope for, Alex Wilson, Pat Duffy, Yemi Lawani, and David Long. International aid has faced strong headwinds these last weeks. We hope this announcement feels like a much needed win for all of us in the sector. We're building tools to ensure more money gets where it needs to go, faster than ever - because we believe in the value of humanitarian aid and in using new technologies to make it better for everybody.

??Big News for Coala Pay!??? We’re thrilled to announce that?Coala Pay?has been selected as a Glo Dollar funding recipient—a game-changer for global aid transparency! ?Why does this matter? ?? Direct, efficient aid transfers?– No intermediaries, no delays ?? More funds reaching those in need?– No hidden fees, full transparency ?? Seamless integration?– NGOs & donors can easily plug into the system ?How It Works 1?? Donors fund humanitarian projects?using Glo Dollar (USDGLO) 2?? Funds move instantly?via Stellar’s blockchain – no friction, no inefficiencies 3?? NGOs receive and distribute aid?with full traceability 4?? 100% transparency?– Every dollar tracked, ensuring accountability By leveraging?Glo Dollar on Stellar, we’re not just innovating payments—we’re?reshaping the future of humanitarian funding. Join us in making aid?smarter, fairer, and truly global. Let’s build the future of giving, together!???

Humanitarians are built to tackle hard things. The Trump administration’s pause on US aid programs abroad has taken many of us by surprise. We anticipated a slow down in funding and reprioritization, following patterns from the first Trump presidency, but this has been a far broader order than expected. However, this is not the first time US political turmoil has influenced the aid sector, and there are many of us with experience riding these kinds of flare-ups out. If your organisation is facing immediate cost cutting measures, the Coala Pay team will be available over the coming days and weeks to help you think through whether leveraging technologies like blockchain can help protect program reach and impact despite cuts. We won't always have the answers, but we’ll walk you through what we’re seeing and our thoughts. We know there’s a lot to go over. We’re here if you need a sounding board. Send a DM here or via [email protected] to set up a time to chat.

What happened to DeFi’s mission of banking the unbanked? ?? At #FtCBangkok, Anna Whitson-Diaz (Stellar Development Foundation), Melyn McKay (Ph.D.) (Coala Pay), Philea A. Bartels (REFUNITE), and David Casey (Funding the Commons), explored how blockchain can unlock financial inclusion, refugee aid, and local empowerment. ?? From enabling faster, transparent payments in conflict zones to reducing overhead for humanitarian organizations, these conversations highlighted how public blockchains can step in where traditional systems fail. ?? Watch the full panel: https://lnkd.in/ejKcx38v