Photo (from right) - Dean of Trinity Business School Prof. Laurent Muzellec, Aave Labs founder Stani Kulechov and Lory Kehoe, EU Director of Aave Labs and Adjunct Professor at Trinity
Trinity College Dublin has become the first university in Ireland to receive a philanthropic donation in cryptocurrency [20 November 2025].
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.
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 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 said: “We are proud to support this initiative, which expands ways companies and individuals can contribute to Trinity. With more people and institutions now holding digital assets, enabling crypto donations makes giving simpler and more inclusive.”
Donors can support scholarships, research, and campus capital projects by making 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. Founded in 2012, this is a worldwide day of giving that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.
