In the traditional world of accounting, crypto has often been viewed with skepticism, if not outright hostility. But while many financial experts were dismissing digital currencies, others saw their potential to solve real-world problems. From helping children’s charities raise funds to protecting workers’ privacy in developing nations, blockchain technology is proving its worth beyond the hype. Few understand this transformation better than Andrea Perlak, whose journey from the World Bank to Web3 innovation offers unique insights into how digital finance is reshaping everything from corporate treasuries to charitable giving.
Reimagining Fundraising with Tokens
Picture buying shares in your favorite charity. Sounds strange? That’s exactly what Andrea is working to make possible. She’s helping a major pediatric cancer organization create a new kind of fundraising tool – tokens that give donors a stake in the non-profit’s growth. “Instead of donating, imagine you invest in your favorite charity. When you own crypto tokens, you now own part of that company, and if the value of the company goes up, so do your tokens,” Andrea explains. For this particular organization, those investments fund cancer research, pay for medical bills, and what she calls “dream trips,” similar to Make A Wish Foundation.
It’s no simple task. Setting this up requires a small but mighty team: Andrea handles the token economics, a top securities lawyer manages SEC registration, and the organization’s founder – a childhood cancer survivor – leads the charge. While not every charity will take this route (“Issuing a token is a genuinely complex process,” Andrea admits), she believes larger organizations could raise serious money this way: “We could raise millions in short order. Think of how many worthy causes could benefit!” 
Protecting Privacy in African Payments
In Nigeria, if the wrong person knows someone’s salary, it can put them at risk. That’s one reason one of the organization’s that Andrea’s team works with is developing crypto-based payment apps across Africa. These apps solve several problems at once: they allow instant, nearly free money transfers, let people hold their money in stable currencies like US dollars, and – crucially – protect users’ privacy. “Instead of getting paid through local banks, if a company pays employees through this payment app, suddenly the payee’s information is confidential and hidden,” Andrea explains. “This is far safer than running the risk of working with a local bank in an environment where bribery and fraud are ripe.” While privacy coins face scrutiny in the US, she points out their vital role elsewhere: “In other developing countries, it’s actually a safety mechanism.”
Andrea’s team is currently working with three separate projects across Africa. Each targets different countries and challenges, but they share a common goal: helping local economies function better. From payroll privacy in Nigeria to currency stability in other regions, these apps offer practical solutions to everyday problems.
Transforming Corporate Treasury with Bitcoin
When Bitcoin’s price shot up from $69,000 to $108,000 in just weeks with a 56.5% jump, it didn’t just make headlines – it changed how companies think about their treasury management. “Crypto was a scoffed at a mere few months ago; now everybody wants in,” Andrea notes. Companies that wouldn’t touch cryptocurrency before are now scrambling to figure out how to put Bitcoin on their balance sheets. This isn’t as simple as buying some Bitcoin and calling it a day. “Managing crypto on your balance sheet is different than managing standard fiat,” she explains. Andrea’s team works with dozens of companies navigating this shift. The work requires both traditional accounting expertise and deep understanding of cryptocurrency. “Companies need more holistic support from treasury management, to taxation and regulatory compliance, to basic bookkeeping and fair value accounting. The locked value of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are worth it,” Andrea believes, “but it requires support from experts in the field.”
Launching Practical Blockchain Solutions
After months of holding their breath, crypto companies are rushing to launch new products. “The proliferation of new products coming to market in Q1 is through the roof,” Andrea says. “It’s like everybody was holding their breath Q4 until the U.S. elections happened.” This isn’t just about speculation or getting rich quick. From Andrea’s perspective, it’s about building tools that solve real world problems. Whether helping charities raise funds more effectively, protecting workers’ privacy in developing nations, or helping traditional companies add Bitcoin to their balance sheet, she’s focused on practical applications of blockchain technology.
Her work shows how cryptocurrency, often dismissed as a merely speculative asset, can address concrete challenges in finance, charity, international development and so many other issues. By bridging the gap between traditional finance and digital innovation, she’s helping shape how organizations worldwide handle money in the digital age.
To learn more about Andrea Perlak’s work in digital finance and cryptocurrency, connect with her on LinkedIn or visit her website.
