The Disaster That Disconnected a Nation
In January 2022, the Kingdom of Tonga experienced a catastrophic event when the Hunga Tonga and Hunga Ha’apai underwater volcano erupted, triggering a tsunami with waves reaching up to 1.2 meters. This natural disaster not only caused immediate physical damage to homes and infrastructure but critically severed Tonga’s submarine cable network effectively cutting the island nation off from the rest of the world.
As reported, the tsunami left citizens fleeing to higher ground, with immediate concerns focusing on air and water contamination. But beyond the physical damage, a critical problem emerged i.e. with traditional communication networks down, how could aid reach those affected?
Bitcoin and Satellite Technology During the Crisis
In this moment of crisis, Lord Fusitu’a, a former Tongan lawmaker and Bitcoin advocate who has since passed away, established a Bitcoin wallet to receive donations for relief efforts.
During the disaster, Tonga had limited satellite connectivity through providers like Starlink, Kacific, and Intelsat systems, though these connections were constrained. The question of whether Bitcoin transactions could effectively reach the island during this communication blackout remained uncertain.
While some crypto advocates suggested that Bitcoin could function as an alternative financial channel when traditional systems failed, the practical implementation of this during the Tongan crisis lacks clear documentation.
As reported at the time, the underwater cable damage significantly impaired communications, with most connection lines potentially down for up to two weeks.
The Wallet That Received Donations
Following the disaster, Lord Fusitu’a (a former Tongan lawmaker who has since passed away) set up a Bitcoin wallet with the address bc1qmn6ddugyj853vgmcvljs5te6rl9teuhz6t5cun to receive donations for relief efforts.
According to blockchain data from BTCscan.org, “Address bc1qmn6ddugyj853vgmcvljs5te6rl9teuhz6t5cun has 421 transactions on the Bitcoin blockchain. Last balance change was 2022-11-26 17:21:17 GMT +13. It has received a total of 0.55640009 BTC and has sent a total of 0.55640009 BTC. The current balance of this address is 0 BTC.”
This data is corroborated by Blockchain.com explorer which shows: “This address has transacted 421 times on the Bitcoin blockchain. It has received a total of 0.55640009 BTC ($47,380.32 USD) and has sent a total of 0.55640009 BTC ($47,380.32 USD). The current value of this address is 0.00000000 BTC ($0.00 USD).”
These blockchain records confirm that the wallet received exactly 0.55640009 BTC (equivalent to $47,380.32 USD at the time) through 421 separate transactions. The blockchain explorers also verify that all funds were eventually transferred out, as the wallet currently shows a zero balance, with the last transaction occurring on November 26, 2022 i.e. approximately 10 months after the disaster.
Following The Money – A Blockchain Investigation
Using blockchain explorers to trace the Bitcoin donations, we can see exactly where the funds were transferred. The wallet address (bc1qmn6ddugyj853vgmcvljs5te6rl9teuhz6t5cun) received a total of 0.55640009 BTC (approximately $47,380.32 USD at the time) through 421 separate transactions, with the wallet now showing a zero balance as all funds were transferred out.
The transaction history reveals that the majority of the funds (0.53275717 BTC) were sent to another wallet address (0001c9d33d5392f5) in a single transaction on January 26, 2022. This transaction (a68820cdc4dedd18910aa36cd27c78766a2500e2b8acac3dcd2329fba04b2b99) represented approximately 96% of all the donations received.
Further investigation into this destination wallet shows that the funds remained there for approximately three months until April 18, 2022, by which time the wallet balance had grown to approximately 27.4 BTC through additional deposits. On that date, almost all funds (27.44593953 BTC) were withdrawn in a coordinated series of transactions, with the vast majority (27.44593153 BTC) going to yet another wallet address (ebe8bf9650aec2a2).
As of today, both Lord Fusitu’a’s original donation wallet and the intermediary wallet show zero balances, with all funds having been transferred elsewhere. Without additional information about who controls these subsequent wallets, it remains impossible to determine if any of these funds ever reached the Tongan government treasury or were used for tsunami relief efforts.
Further investigation reveals additional insights into the destination wallet address ebe8bf9650aec2a2. This wallet is connected to Bitcoin Address bc1q0df9cftpteg497wlrnyvq7cydmvlkntqttwkfy, which has transacted 51 times on the Bitcoin blockchain. According to blockchain explorers, this address has:
- Received a total of 85.74384128 BTC ($7,322,850 USD)
- Sent a total of 85.51491921 BTC ($7,303,299 USD)
- Current balance of 0.22892207 BTC ($19,550.82 USD)
The Mystery Remains – Unanswered Questions
Despite being able to trace the movement of funds through the blockchain, critical questions remain unanswered. The primary question is i.e. Did any of these Bitcoin donations actually reach the Tongan Government Treasury? If they did, why was there no press release or public acknowledgment from the government at that time? The complete lack of official documentation regarding the receipt or distribution of these funds raises important transparency concerns.
While we can see that funds moved from Lord Fusitu’a’s wallet to an intermediary wallet and then to another destination, I cannot determine who controls these subsequent wallets at this point in time without additional off-chain information. This creates a disconnect between on-chain transparency and real-world accountability, especially when used for disaster relief efforts where public trust is essential but the local government has not adopted the use of cryptocurrency as legal tender.
The current balance of both Lord Fusitu’a’s donation wallet and the intermediary wallet is 0.00000000 BTC ($0.00 USD), with no activity in the original donation wallet since November 26, 2022.
Conclusion – The Ongoing Investigation
The Tonga Bitcoin donation case presents a fascinating blockchain investigation that continues to unfold. The remarkable transparency of blockchain technology allows us to meticulously track every movement of funds from the initial donations to their subsequent transfers across multiple wallets.
We have precise records showing:
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Total donations received: 0.55640009 BTC ($47,380.32 USD)
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Number of transactions: 421
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A significant transfer of 27.44593153 BTC (approximately $2,336,418 USD at the time) to wallet address ebe8bf9650aec2a2
Further investigation uncovered additional details about the destination wallet. The address ebe8bf9650aec2a2, connected to Bitcoin Address bc1q0df9cftpteg497wlrnyvq7cydmvlkntqttwkfy, shows:
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51 total blockchain transactions
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Total received: 85.74384128 BTC ($7,322,850 USD)
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Total sent: 85.51491921 BTC ($7,303,299 USD)
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Current balance: 0.22892207 BTC ($19,550.82 USD)
We can render this investigation as far from over. If our commitment is to continue tracing these funds, connecting on-chain transactions with real-world evidence. The potential of blockchain technology for transparent disaster relief remains significant, and we will persistently work to bridge the gap between digital transactions and their actual impact.
Sources
This blog post is based on information from the following sources:
- Blockchain.com Explorer – Used to verify that the Bitcoin wallet address bc1qmn6ddugyj853vgmcvljs5te6rl9teuhz6t5cun had 421 transactions, received a total of 0.55640009 BTC ($47,380.32 USD), sent a total of 0.55640009 BTC ($47,380.32 USD), and currently has a balance of 0.00000000 BTC ($0.00 USD).
- BTCscan.org – Used to confirm the wallet had 421 transactions on the Bitcoin blockchain, with the last balance change on 2022-11-26, received a total of 0.55640009 BTC, sent a total of 0.55640009 BTC, and has a current balance of 0 BTC.
- Cointelegraph – January 17, 2022 article “Tonga accepts Bitcoin donations amid tsunami onslaught” which reported on Lord Fusitu’a establishing the Bitcoin wallet for donations.
- Independent – January 18, 2022 article “Tonga receives hundreds of bitcoin donations after volcano devastation” which reported that more than $40,000 already raised by Tongan politician and crypto advocate Lord Fusitu’a.
