Ripple Partners With Madonna to Fundraise for Orphans in Malawi

Cryptocurrency payments startup Ripple is partnering with Madonna to raise funds for orphans in the African nation of Malawi.

The legendary pop icon announced the fundraiser Monday as a way to celebrate her 60th birthday, saying all donations would go to Raising Malawi, a non-profit organization she co-founded with American screenwriter Michael Berg in 2006, to support its work at the Home of Hope orphanage in Malawi. Notably, Ripple is matching all donations made through the drive.

Ripple senior vice president of business operations Eric van Miltenburg said the charity was important, according to a statement.

He added:

The campaign, which began on July 30 and runs through August 31, has already raised more than $26,000 from nearly 540 people within two days, nearly halfway to the $60,000 target, according to a Facebook donations page.

Madonna said the fundraising event will serve as a gift "connecting my global family with this beautiful country and the children who need our help most" for her birthday.

Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world, with about 50 percent of the nations' population living below the poverty line, according to the International Monetary Fund.

Madonna image via Denis Makarenko / Shutterstock