Portugal Welcomed Web3. Now We Need You.

Written By Joana Kawahara

Portugal has been more than a host. It has been a refuge.

If you’ve been to Lisbon, especially during NFC, you already know this. The warmth wasn’t branding. It was real. The food, the generosity, the patience, the openness. Many of you told me, repeatedly, how deeply you felt welcomed here.

That same Portugal is now in crisis.

Over the past weeks, a succession of storms: Kristin, Leonardo, and now Marta—has devastated central regions of the country. What is unfolding is not abstract, and it is not over.

The Reality

On January 28, 2026, Storm Kristin struck central Portugal with unprecedented force. Wind gusts reached 208 km/h, the strongest ever recorded in the country’s history. Storm Leonardo followed. Storm Marta is now approaching.

The situation on the ground:

  • 13+ lives lost

  • €4+ billion in damages

  • 100,000+ people without electricity

  • Entire towns underwater

  • Hundreds of homes without roofs

  • Factories destroyed

  • Critical infrastructure compromised

Regions such as Leiria, Coimbra, and Alcácer do Sal have been hit particularly hard. Families have lost everything. Elderly care homes are struggling to function. Small businesses (already fragile) are devastated. Many people are still living in damaged homes, without power, waiting for assistance.

Why This Matters to Web3

Portugal did not merely tolerate Web3. It embraced it: early, openly, and at real risk.

  • Favorable crypto tax treatment when much of Europe was hostile

  • NFC Lisbon becoming one of the continent’s key Web3 gatherings

  • A startup ecosystem that welcomed blockchain builders

  • Portuguese developers contributing to global projects

Portugal gave Web3 a home in Europe. You came. You stayed. You benefited. Many of you fell in love with this place. Some of you even moved here.

Now, the community that welcomed you needs support.

What I’m Doing

I am not collecting abstract donations. I am speaking directly with local authorities to identify specific, immediate needs.

Alcácer do Sal–Urgent physical needs:

  • Personal hygiene products

  • Cleaning supplies

  • Buckets, mops, heavy-duty brooms

  • Gloves

  • Shovels

Collection point:
Manuel Veloso Neves LDA
Zona Industrial Ligeira, nº 37
Alcácer do Sal

If you are in Portugal, these can be delivered today. If you are abroad, I am coordinating bulk purchases and deliveries to maximize impact.

What Is Being Coordinated

1. Direct Relief

  • Working with local municipalities and the Portuguese Red Cross

  • Bulk purchasing of verified needs

  • Transparent tracking of all donations and deliveries

2. Corporate Partnerships

  • Outreach to supply and logistics companies

  • Leveraging international networks for equipment and materials

  • Connecting affected businesses with recovery resources

3. Volunteer Coordination

  • Matching skills to real needs on the ground

  • Working alongside local authorities to deploy effectively

4. Museum Ghost Art Initiative

  • Commissioning Portuguese artists, especially those affected

  • A fundraiser with 100% of proceeds directed to relief

  • Building a long-term support mechanism beyond emergency response

How You Can Help

Fill out this form:
→ https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdj_zVWq4g9lFVjya-x3i_tIAFfGdmKBCDxMp2C3_2yK76i2g/viewform?usp=header

I will match you with the most effective way to help based on your location, resources, and skills.

Or reach out directly:

  • DM on Twitter/X: @jokawaharalino or @museumghostart

  • Contact form via my website

If You’re a Company

If you work at (or can connect us with)companies in:

  • Cleaning supplies (e.g. Unilever, P&G)

  • Construction materials

  • Logistics and transport

  • Tech companies operating in Portugal

Please reach out. Bulk corporate donations can have immediate, outsized impact.

If You’re in Portugal

You can help today by:

  • Purchasing and delivering supplies

  • Volunteering for cleanup and reconstruction

  • Sharing this within Portuguese networks

Transparency Commitment

This effort will be documented with clarity and care. Updates will include:

  • Funds raised and deployed

  • Supplies purchased and delivered

  • Partnerships formed

  • Impact on the ground

This is not symbolic charity. This is targeted support for specific communities with verified needs.

Why This Matters to Me

My father worked for years with the Associação Industrial Portuguesa, strengthening Portuguese industry through coordination and collective effort. My mother has served the public for over three decades and represented Portugal internationally through sport and diplomacy.

This is the ethic I was raised with.

Now, I am using the networks I have in Web3: a global community that Portugal welcomed—to support the country that shaped me.

Web3 often speaks of itself as a global community…This is a moment to act like one.

Updates

This page will be updated as:

  • Additional local authorities are contacted

  • New needs are identified

  • Deliveries are coordinated

  • Partnerships are formed

  • Volunteers are deployed

Last updated: February 7, 2026

Take Action

Please don’t let this disappear into the feed.

→ Fill out the form
→ Reach out directly if you can help
→ Share this widely

Portugal welcomed you. Now it’s our turn to show up. 🇵🇹

Joana Kawahara
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The Crypto Art Civil War