Archival activism refers to the practice of preserving, organising, and presenting historical archives—not merely as a method of documentation, but as a means of promoting social justice and human rights. It is therefore both a means and an end. This form of activism seeks to bring to light overlooked histories, silenced voices, and deliberately forgotten stories, thereby fostering social reflection and transformation.
The technological principles of Web3—freedom, immutability, and decentralisation—are closely aligned with the goals of archival activism. Its emphasis on open access allows anyone to participate in the preservation and sharing of archives. Immutability ensures that the content of archives cannot be tampered with, thereby safeguarding the authenticity of historical records. The decentralised nature of Web3 enables archives to resist censorship and political interference, maintaining informational integrity and transparency. These features make archival efforts more democratic, allowing anyone to take part in the preservation and dissemination of information.
Web3’s decentralised nature also helps archival activism resist political interference and the erosion of records over time. Traditional archiving methods are often under institutional or governmental control, making them vulnerable to censorship or destruction. By leveraging decentralised technology, data can be distributed across multiple nodes, ensuring that even if some are attacked or deleted, others continue to preserve and transmit the information. This anti-fragilityguarantees the long-term survival of archives and protects them against external pressures.
The integration of archival activism and Web3 democratises the processes of archiving, sharing, and accessing information. Through these emerging technologies, individuals and communities can freely preserve and share their own stories without reliance on central authorities to decide what records merit preservation. This democratisation marks not only a technological advancement but a cultural and social one, supporting the movement towards a more inclusive and just future.
Welcome to Resilience Innovation Lab (RIL) ! In this newsletter, we will discuss the relationship between “archival activism” and web3, and share our latest reports and events in London, UK.
Report Launch: Safeguarding Freedom of Information in Hong Kong
Resilience Innovation Lab is pleased to launch a new report,”Safeguarding Freedom of Information in Hong Kong: Challenges, Opportunities and Remedies”. This report explores the current state of information freedom in Hong Kong, the challenges faced, and the path forward in ensuring an open and informed society.
Archival activism refers to the practice of preserving, organising, and presenting historical archives—not merely as a method of documentation, but as a means of promoting social justice and human rights. It is therefore both a means and an end. This form of activism seeks to bring to light overlooked histories, silenced voices, and deliberately forgotten stories, thereby fostering social reflection and transformation.
The technological principles of Web3—freedom, immutability, and decentralisation—are closely aligned with the goals of archival activism. Its emphasis on open access allows anyone to participate in the preservation and sharing of archives. Immutability ensures that the content of archives cannot be tampered with, thereby safeguarding the authenticity of historical records. The decentralised nature of Web3 enables archives to resist censorship and political interference, maintaining informational integrity and transparency. These features make archival efforts more democratic, allowing anyone to take part in the preservation and dissemination of information.
Web3’s decentralised nature also helps archival activism resist political interference and the erosion of records over time. Traditional archiving methods are often under institutional or governmental control, making them vulnerable to censorship or destruction. By leveraging decentralised technology, data can be distributed across multiple nodes, ensuring that even if some are attacked or deleted, others continue to preserve and transmit the information. This anti-fragilityguarantees the long-term survival of archives and protects them against external pressures.
The integration of archival activism and Web3 democratises the processes of archiving, sharing, and accessing information. Through these emerging technologies, individuals and communities can freely preserve and share their own stories without reliance on central authorities to decide what records merit preservation. This democratisation marks not only a technological advancement but a cultural and social one, supporting the movement towards a more inclusive and just future.
The Berkeley Protocol on Digital Open Source Investigations (The Protocol) is a pioneering initiative aimed at standardising the use of open-source information in investigations into human rights abuses and war crimes. Developed by the Human Rights Center at the University of California, Berkeley, it represents a significant step forward in the ethical and legal use of open-source intelligence (OSINT), including content collected from social media posts, videos, and other publicly accessible online sources. This framework is essential for helping investigators collect, verify, and present evidence in a way that meets international legal standards—an essential process for holding perpetrators of human rights violations accountable.
The Protocol addresses the challenges and complexities of verifying visual content—such as photographs and videos—to ensure authenticity and reliability. In crisis situations, digital evidence captured by ordinary citizens on smartphones can be highly impactful—provided it is properly verified. The Protocol outlines procedures for confirming the source, location, and timing of such content, ensuring it can be effectively used in legal proceedings. Methods such as geolocation and chronolocation help prevent the spread of misinformation and strengthen the credibility of evidence used in human rights investigations.
Blockchain technology has the potential to complement the Berkeley Protocol by offering a secure and tamper-proof platform for archiving crucial open-source data. In the context of archival activism, blockchain can be used to safeguard sensitive information collected during human rights investigations. Its decentralised nature ensures that once data is recorded, it cannot be altered or deleted without consensus—preserving the integrity of evidence. This is particularly valuable in documenting war crimes or human rights abuses, where the risk of evidence being tampered with or destroyed by malicious actors is high.
The goal of archival activism is to preserve vital information that might otherwise be lost or suppressed. Blockchain offers a powerful solution to this challenge. By storing open-source evidence on blockchain networks, activists and investigators can ensure that information remains accessible and unaltered—even in the face of efforts by authoritarian regimes or other actors to suppress it. This decentralised archiving approach aligns with the principles of the Berkeley Protocol, which emphasises reliability and transparency in the collection and use of open-source data.
The use of blockchain in human rights investigations also fosters greater collaboration among activists, legal professionals, and researchers. The technology’s transparency and decentralisation enable multiple parties to access and verify evidence without requiring a central authority, enhancing trust and cooperation in the investigative process. This is particularly significant in international contexts, where organisations may collaborate to document and prosecute human rights violations. By offering a shared, tamper-proof evidence ledger, blockchain enhances the credibility of collected information and supports the aims of the Protocol.
Moreover, blockchain can help address a major challenge identified by the Protocol: the fleeting nature of digital content. Social media platforms often remove content deemed too violent or in violation of policies, risking the loss of critical evidence. By archiving such material on the blockchain, investigators can ensure that vital information is preserved even after removal from online platforms. This helps maintain a complete record of events and ensures the voices of those affected by human rights violations are not silenced.
The Protocol also highlights ethical considerations in the collection and use of open-source data. Blockchain’s inherent transparency can address some of these concerns by providing a clear chain of custody for digital evidence. This means that the origin and handling of each piece of evidence can be traced, ensuring it has not been tampered with and that its use adheres to ethical standards. Such accountability is crucial in high-risk human rights investigations, where the consequences of using unreliable evidence can be severe.
Beyond archiving and verification, blockchain also has a role to play in human rights advocacy, drawing public attention to abuses. By creating a permanent and publicly accessible record of evidence, blockchain can amplify the stories of victims and raise international awareness of ongoing crises. This aligns with the goals of the Protocol—not only to support legal accountability but also to increase public recognition of human rights violations and promote social justice. Blockchain platforms can be used to share verified evidence with the public, journalists, and advocacy organisations, ensuring that truth is not buried and that responsible parties are held accountable.
The integration of the Protocol’s open-source investigation guidelines with blockchain’s secure archiving and transparency capabilities creates a powerful toolset for safeguarding open-source data and supporting human rights advocacy. By ensuring that evidence is both credible and accessible, this approach strengthens the case against violators and supports efforts to seek justice for victims. In this context, blockchain enhances the integrity of evidence and empowers activists and investigators to continue their work in the face of adversity.
In conclusion, the Protocol provides a much-needed framework for the ethical and effective use of open-source information in human rights investigations. By incorporating blockchain technology into this process, archival activists can ensure that key evidence is preserved, protected, and used to promote accountability and justice. This innovative approach to archival activism holds the potential to transform the field of human rights investigation, offering new tools and methodologies for documenting abuses and advocating for change.
Event Invitation: “Ways of Remembering”
Resilience Innovation Lab is pleased to collaborate with Hong Kong Action Archives for the following exhibition event: Ways of Remembering.
This exhibition brings together artefacts, personal stories, and collective memories from Hong Kong’s social movements over the past decades. Alongside these, we’re shedding light on projects that employ archiving as a means of resistance.
More than just a look at Hong Kong, this exhibition is an invitation for anyone interested in the act of collecting, remembering, and the ways in which history is written. It’s for anyone who wants to explore how our voices — and the voices of our communities — are shaped by the currents of time and information.
Judicial Records in Hong Kong * has made every effort to collect court decisions related to the Anti-Extradition Bill Movement for educational and research purposes. These records are still accessible on the website of Hong Kong’s judiciary, but their continued availability to the public in the future remains uncertain. All judicial records collected and displayed here are secured and maintained using blockchain technology, through which they are decentralized and immutable, ensuring transparency, tamper-resistance, and trust in the integrity of the data. Our goal is to utilize blockchain as a form of censorship resistance to preserve invaluable public records. If there are any omissions in this database, please feel free to notify RIL’s research team: info.dap@protonmail.com .
China Open Courts* aims to preserve and provide public access to judicial records from the People’s Republic of China that are at risk of disappearing from official sources. Below is an overview of the methodology adopted in this project, including our data collection strategies, scope of coverage, and plans for ensuring continued accuracy and relevance of the information. Interested parties are welcome to reach out to our team at chinaopencourts@protonmail.com for further information, collaboration opportunities, or suggestions on additional keywords and topics to include.
*To protect your identity and personal information, you are advised to use these online resources with an encrypted device and VPN.
An Unbreakable Wall? Challenges and Opportunities of Defending Freedom of Information in China is RIL’s first research report on information environment in China. This report provides a comprehensive account of China’s information environment under the rule of the CCP. Drawing on evidence-based insights from multiple perspectives, the report seeks to inform a broad range of stakeholders—from policymakers and international businesses to civil society organisations and academic institutions—and encourages collaborative efforts to address the challenges posed by China’s information landscape and its impact on global information networks. The full report is now available on our website.
Who we are?
Resilience Innovation Lab (RIL) was founded by Asian veteran researchers and human rights defenders in 2023. RIL is a virtual platform promoting innovation, experimentation, and the exchange of research and educational initiatives that aim to develop and strengthen the democratic and digital resilience of organisations and individuals working in repressive environments.
RIL envisions a synergy of democracy, technology and civil society resilience today, especially when authoritarianism emerges as a common threat to liberal democracies and open societies. Building the capacities of citizens and civil groups to respond to such a new environment with creative and innovative instruments is of paramount importance for their sustainable development.
Our work focuses on researching Web3 technology, digital preservation of collective memory and history in conflict and post-conflict areas, and resilience of rule of law institutions and cultures in non-democratic regimes.
Welcome to Resilience Innovation Lab (RIL)! In this newsletter, we will officially launch our first research report on the state of Hong Kong’s information freedom, and announce a RIL-supported exhibition in London, UK.
Report Launch: Safeguarding Freedom of Information in Hong Kong
Resilience Innovation Lab is pleased to launch a new report,”Safeguarding Freedom of Information in Hong Kong: Challenges, Opportunities and Remedies”. Both Chinese and English versions of the full report are now available online.
Freedom of information is a cornerstone of democracy and good governance, enabling transparency, accountability, and public trust. In Hong Kong, information access has been increasingly restricted, particularly following the enactment of the Hong Kong National Security Law (HKNSL) in 2020 and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance (SNSO) in 2024. These measures have significantly curtailed press freedom, civil society oversight, and public access to government data, diverging from international human rights standards.
The increasing criminalisation of information access in Hong Kong has led to weakened transparency, press suppression, and reduced corporate data availability. The impact extends beyond journalists to businesses, researchers, and international organizations. Legal reforms, stronger civil society engagement, and international accountability measures are necessary to restore freedom of information and Hong Kong’s reputation as a global financial and information hub.
Against this background, this report explores the current state of information freedom in Hong Kong, the challenges faced, and the path forward in ensuring an open and informed society. Key findings and remedies are provided as follows:
Key Findings
• Legal and institutional barriers: Hong Kong lacks both an Archive Law and a Freedom of Information Law, leading to government opacity and arbitrary record destruction.
• Press freedom erosion: Journalists face censorship, visa denials, harassment, and arrests, resulting in self-censorship and media retreat from Hong Kong.
• State control over information supply chain: The government has increased public data removal, rejected information requests, and imposed court injunctions to suppress access to critical information.
• Legal repercussions for information access: Ambiguous definitions of “state secrets” and “espionage” in the SNSO expose researchers, businesses, and journalists to potential prosecution.
• International business and investment risks: Restrictions on financial data transparency and extraterritorial application of security laws undermine Hong Kong’s attractiveness as an international business hub.
Remedies
For the Legal System:
• Enact Archive Law and Freedom of Information Law in compliance with ICCPR and international best practices.
• Reverse court decisions that restrict free access to information, including the ban on the protest song Glory to Hong Kong.
For the Executive Government:
• Cease enforcing censorship policies, information removals, and national security laws that restrict information access.
• Implement UN recommendations to repeal or amend the HKNSL and SNSO to align with international human rights obligations.
• Protect journalists, researchers, and civil society members from harassment and legal intimidation.
• Improve existing legal and regulatory frameworks in light of latest UN standards and principles on access to information
For Business Corporations, Chambers & Investors:
• Advocate for clear definitions of state secrets to ensure market transparency.
• Strengthen corporate policies against compliance with excessive government data requests.
• Maintain transparency reports on information requests from the Hong Kong authorities.
For Civil Society:
• Strengthen networks of support for Hong-Kong-based journalists and researchers.
• Utilize censorship-resistant technologies (e.g., blockchain, IPFS) to safeguard public data and digital archives.
• Provide adequate resources and trainings to groups that sustain and contribute to the information supply chain in Hong Kong
For International Organizations:
• UN agencies and human rights bodies should monitor and report on the state of information access in Hong Kong.
• Strengthen international diplomatic pressure on China and Hong Kong to uphold information integrity and human rights.
Freedom of Information in China
Resilience Innovation Lab (RIL) is pleased to launch its inaugural research report, titled An Unbreakable Wall? Challenges and Opportunities of Defending Freedom of Information in China. The full report is now available online.
Over the past decade, China’s information environment has deteriorated markedly due to increasing state control over digital communications. Notable escalations in censorship and surveillance have coincided with key events, including the 2019 Hong Kong protests, the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and the White Paper Movement in 2022. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has systematically tightened its grip on cyberspace, driven by concerns over foreign ideological influence and the safeguarding of domestic regime security.
Businesses—particularly multinational corporations—face growing risks as China’s digital environment becomes ever more restrictive. Due diligence operations have been significantly hindered, with organisations subjected to raids, exit bans, informal government warnings, and limited access to essential corporate information databases. Civil society organisations, journalists, and academics face similar constraints, including routine surveillance, censorship, and major operational disruptions. Academic freedom, journalistic independence, and civic activism continue to be challenged by ambiguous legal frameworks, intensified surveillance, and direct threats from state authorities.
This report provides a comprehensive account of China’s information environment under the rule of the CCP, with a particular focus on developments since President Xi Jinping’s ascent to power. It offers a critical analysis of how systematic, state-led efforts to control and manipulate information are affecting various sectors of society—including the information supply chain, public access to information, and the operating conditions of businesses (especially within the due diligence sector), civil society groups, journalists, and academics engaged with China. Drawing on evidence-based insights from multiple perspectives, the report seeks to inform a broad range of stakeholders—from policymakers and international businesses to civil society organisations and academic institutions—and encourages collaborative efforts to address the challenges posed by China’s information landscape and its impact on global information networks.
Resilience Innovation Lab gratefully acknowledges the invaluable contributions of several anonymous individuals and interviewees who chose not to reveal their identities for safety and security reasons. Their courage and insight have greatly enriched the depth and authenticity of this report. We sincerely hope that, in the near future, contributors and researchers will no longer feel compelled to hide their identities, but will instead be free to participate openly in the pursuit of a free, transparent, and open society in China.
Resilience Innovation Lab is pleased to collaborate with Hong Kong Action Archives for the following exhibition event:
This exhibition brings together artefacts, personal stories, and collective memories from Hong Kong’s social movements over the past decades. Alongside these, we’re shedding light on projects that employ archiving as a means of resistance.
More than just a look at Hong Kong, this exhibition is an invitation for anyone interested in the act of collecting, remembering, and the ways in which history is written. It’s for anyone who wants to explore how our voices — and the voices of our communities — are shaped by the currents of time and information.
Presented and curated by Hong Kong Action Archives, in collaboration with Amnesty International, Resilience Innovation Lab, and The Rights Practice.
#WaysOfRemembering2025
#HKAAinUK
Useful Resources
Judicial Records in Hong Kong has made every effort to collect court decisions related to the Anti-Extradition Bill Movement for educational and research purposes. These records are still accessible on the website of Hong Kong’s judiciary, but their continued availability to the public in the future remains uncertain. All judicial records collected and displayed here are secured and maintained using blockchain technology, through which they are decentralized and immutable, ensuring transparency, tamper-resistance, and trust in the integrity of the data. Our goal is to utilize blockchain as a form of censorship resistance to preserve invaluable public records. If there are any omissions in this database, please feel free to notify RIL’s research team: info.dap@protonmail.com .
China Open Courts aims to preserve and provide public access to judicial records from the People’s Republic of China that are at risk of disappearing from official sources. Below is an overview of the methodology adopted in this project, including our data collection strategies, scope of coverage, and plans for ensuring continued accuracy and relevance of the information. Interested parties are welcome to reach out to our team at chinaopencourts@protonmail.com for further information, collaboration opportunities, or suggestions on additional keywords and topics to include.
To protect your identity and personal information, you are advised to use these online resources with an encrypted device and VPN.
Who we are?
Resilience Innovation Lab (RIL) was founded by Asian veteran researchers and human rights defenders in 2023. RIL is a virtual platform promoting innovation, experimentation, and the exchange of research and educational initiatives that aim to develop and strengthen the democratic and digital resilience of organisations and individuals working in repressive environments.
RIL envisions a synergy of democracy, technology and civil society resilience today, especially when authoritarianism emerges as a common threat to liberal democracies and open societies. Building the capacities of citizens and civil groups to respond to such a new environment with creative and innovative instruments is of paramount importance for their sustainable development.
Our work focuses on researching Web3 technology, digital preservation of collective memory and history in conflict and post-conflict areas, and resilience of rule of law institutions and cultures in non-democratic regimes.
Resilience Innovation Lab is pleased to launch a new report, ”Safeguarding Freedom of Information in Hong Kong: Challenges, Opportunities and Remedies”. Both Chinese and English versions of the full report are now available online.
Freedom of information is a cornerstone of democracy and good governance, enabling transparency, accountability, and public trust. In Hong Kong, information access has been increasingly restricted, particularly following the enactment of the Hong Kong National Security Law (HKNSL) in 2020 and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance (SNSO) in 2024. These measures have significantly curtailed press freedom, civil society oversight, and public access to government data, diverging from international human rights standards.
The increasing criminalisation of information access in Hong Kong has led to weakened transparency, press suppression, and reduced corporate data availability. The impact extends beyond journalists to businesses, researchers, and international organizations. Legal reforms, stronger civil society engagement, and international accountability measures are necessary to restore freedom of information and Hong Kong’s reputation as a global financial and information hub.
Against this background, this report explores the current state of information freedom in Hong Kong, the challenges faced, and the path forward in ensuring an open and informed society. Key findings and remedies are provided as follows:
Key Findings
Legal and institutional barriers: Hong Kong lacks both an Archive Law and a Freedom of Information Law, leading to government opacity and arbitrary record destruction.
Press freedom erosion: Journalists face censorship, visa denials, harassment, and arrests, resulting in self-censorship and media retreat from Hong Kong.
State control over information supply chain: The government has increased public data removal, rejected information requests, and imposed court injunctions to suppress access to critical information.
Legal repercussions for information access: Ambiguous definitions of “state secrets” and “espionage” in the SNSO expose researchers, businesses, and journalists to potential prosecution.
International business and investment risks: Restrictions on financial data transparency and extraterritorial application of security laws undermine Hong Kong’s attractiveness as an international business hub.
Remedies
For the Legal System:
Enact Archive Law and Freedom of Information Law in compliance with ICCPR and international best practices.
Reverse court decisions that restrict free access to information, including the ban on the protest song Glory to Hong Kong.
For the Executive Government:
Cease enforcing censorship policies, information removals, and national security laws that restrict information access.
Implement UN recommendations to repeal or amend the HKNSL and SNSO to align with international human rights obligations.
Protect journalists, researchers, and civil society members from harassment and legal intimidation.
Improve existing legal and regulatory frameworks in light of latest UN standards and principles on access to information
For Business Corporations, Chambers & Investors:
Advocate for clear definitions of state secrets to ensure market transparency.
Strengthen corporate policies against compliance with excessive government data requests.
Maintain transparency reports on information requests from the Hong Kong authorities.
For Civil Society:
Strengthen networks of support for Hong-Kong-based journalists and researchers.
Utilize censorship-resistant technologies (e.g., blockchain, IPFS) to safeguard public data and digital archives.
Provide adequate resources and trainings to groups that sustain and contribute to the information supply chain in Hong Kong
For International Organizations:
UN agencies and human rights bodies should monitor and report on the state of information access in Hong Kong.
Strengthen international diplomatic pressure on China and Hong Kong to uphold information integrity and human rights.
Resilience Innovation Lab is pleased to collaborate with Hong Kong Action Archives for the following exhibition event:
This exhibition brings together artefacts, personal stories, and collective memories from Hong Kong’s social movements over the past decades. Alongside these, we’re shedding light on projects that employ archiving as a means of resistance.
More than just a look at Hong Kong, this exhibition is an invitation for anyone interested in the act of collecting, remembering, and the ways in which history is written. It’s for anyone who wants to explore how our voices — and the voices of our communities — are shaped by the currents of time and information.
Welcome to Resilience Innovation Lab (RIL)! In this newsletter, we will discuss the role of web3 technology in global social movements, and officially launch our first research report on China’s information environment.
Who we are?
Resilience Innovation Lab (RIL) was founded by Asian veteran researchers and human rights defenders in 2023. RIL is a virtual platform promoting innovation, experimentation, and the exchange of research and educational initiatives that aim to develop and strengthen the democratic and digital resilience of organisations and individuals working in repressive environments.
RIL envisions a synergy of democracy, technology and civil society resilience today, especially when authoritarianism emerges as a common threat to liberal democracies and open societies. Building the capacities of citizens and civil groups to respond to such a new environment with creative and innovative instruments is of paramount importance for their sustainable development.
Our work focuses on researching Web3 technology, digital preservation of collective memory and history in conflict and post-conflict areas, and resilience of rule of law institutions and cultures in non-democratic regimes.
Web3 and Case Studies in
Social Movements
In social movements, Web3 technology is increasingly demonstrating its potential, particularly in the areas of financial independence and information freedom.
1/ Cryptocurrencies: Economic Freedom and Financial Privilege
First, let’s define the concept of “reserve currency”. A reserve currency is an internationally accepted and widely used currency within the global financial system. It is primarily used for international trade, payments, and foreign exchange reserves. Today, reserve currencies include the US dollar, the euro, and the Japanese yen, among a few others. However, statistics show that less than 20% of the world’s population lives in countries that issue reserve currencies, meaning that the majority of nations must rely on these international currencies for trade and financial transactions.
As Alex Gladstein, CEO of the Human Rights Foundation, describes in his book Check Your Financial Privilege, this unequal distribution of currency has created what is known as “financial privilege”. Countries with reserve currencies enjoy greater financial stability, while others are more vulnerable to currency fluctuations and economic instability.
For example, many South American countries have long struggled with hyperinflation. In Venezuela, inflation soared to 1,000,000% in 2018, rendering the local currency almost worthless. As a result, residents had to seek alternative stores of value, with many turning to cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin to protect their assets and safeguard against the collapse of the domestic financial system.
Similarly, in Ethiopia, government restrictions prevent residents from holding US dollars, severely limiting their financial freedom. The emergence of cryptocurrencies has provided a way to bypass government-imposed restrictions, allowing individuals to maintain essential economic activities.
2/ Cryptocurrencies: “Economic Terrorism” and Financial Control
Beyond financial privilege, another serious issue is the phenomenon of “economic terrorism”. This refers to a tactic employed by authoritarian governments, where monetary supply manipulation is used to control people’s economic freedom and further entrench corruption. In Sudan, prolonged economic sanctions and government corruption have made it extremely difficult for citizens to access international currencies or even obtain basic financial services. The Sudanese government not only restricts financial freedom but also manipulates the monetary supply to maintain its grip on power. In such an environment, cryptocurrencieshave emerged as a tool to circumvent government control, allowing local residents to safeguard their financial autonomy.
Another noteworthy example is Palestine. Due to Israeli control, Palestine is unable to establish its own monetary system, forcing residents to use the Israeli currency for transactions. Even when international aidis provided to Palestinian civil society, it is only distributed in Israeli currency, inadvertently strengthening Israel’s financial system. This creates a dilemma for Palestinian activists and ordinary citizens—how can they accept external funding without further reinforcing the very financial system they oppose?
For many Palestinian activists, cryptocurrencies—particularly Bitcoin and stablecoins—offer a solution to this predicament. By using cryptocurrencies, they can circumvent the Israeli financial system while also protecting their financial privacy and freedom. For them, using cryptocurrencies is not just an economic survival strategy—it is a form of “everyday activism”. In this context, cryptocurrencies are not only transforming financial behaviour but also serving as a powerful expression of resistance against financial oppression.
3/ Cryptocurrencies as a Donation Tool for Supporting NGOs
The rise of cryptocurrencies has provided non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and social movements with new channels for receiving donations, particularly when traditional financial systems are subject to intervention.
A notable example is WikiLeaks. After exposing a vast number of classified documents, the organisation faced financial blockades from major banks worldwide. Even in Switzerland, a country known for its strict banking secrecy laws, WikiLeaks’ bank accounts were frozen. At this critical moment, Bitcoin became a lifeline for WikiLeaks. Supporters were able to bypass the restrictions of the traditional financial system and continue funding the organisation through cryptocurrency donations.
This case highlights the importance of having a currency that operates independently of traditional financial institutions, ensuring that oppressed groups and individuals can still receive international support despite external financial pressure.
4/ Cryptocurrencies for Humanitarian Aid
Cryptocurrencies are now widely used in humanitarian aid, particularly for communities that lack access to traditional banking systems.
A key example is Stellar’s aid programme, which provides fast, low-cost blockchain payment solutions to support unbanked refugees. Similarly, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has been exploring this technology, using cryptocurrencies to directly distribute aid funds to refugees—overcoming the barriers that prevent traditional banks from serving these populations. The success of these aid initiatives demonstrates the potential of cryptocurrencies as a global humanitarian tool, offering lifeline support to those who have been excluded from the traditional financial system.
5/ Global Trends in Cryptocurrency Bans
These cases illustrate how cryptocurrencies, as an economic tool, have helped people in various social and political contexts break free from authoritarian governments and unstable financial systems, ultimately achieving economic freedom.
Despite the positive economic and social impacts of cryptocurrencies, concerning trends have begun to emerge worldwide. For instance, a recently proposed EU law not only sets limits on cash payments but also seeks to ban anonymous cryptocurrency transactions—a move that has been criticised as “financial paternalism”.
Governments typically justify such measures as necessary to combat money laundering by terrorist organisations and criminal groups. However, these regulations often disproportionately affect social activists and ordinary citizens, rather than the criminals they are meant to target. Meanwhile, wealthy and well-resourced criminals often find ways to circumvent these regulations, leaving everyday people subjected to increased financial surveillance and restrictions.
Therefore, discussions surrounding such policies must be approached with greater caution, ensuring that the regulations do not ultimately harm the very people they are meant to protect.
Resilience Innovation Lab (RIL) is pleased to launch its inaugural research report, titled An Unbreakable Wall? Challenges and Opportunities of Defending Freedom of Information in China. The full report is now available online.
Over the past decade, China’s information environment has deteriorated markedly due to increasing state control over digital communications. Notable escalations in censorship and surveillance have coincided with key events, including the 2019 Hong Kong protests, the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and the White Paper Movement in 2022. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has systematically tightened its grip on cyberspace, driven by concerns over foreign ideological influence and the safeguarding of domestic regime security.
Businesses—particularly multinational corporations—face growing risks as China’s digital environment becomes ever more restrictive. Due diligence operations have been significantly hindered, with organisations subjected to raids, exit bans, informal government warnings, and limited access to essential corporate information databases. Civil society organisations, journalists, and academics face similar constraints, including routine surveillance, censorship, and major operational disruptions. Academic freedom, journalistic independence, and civic activism continue to be challenged by ambiguous legal frameworks, intensified surveillance, and direct threats from state authorities.
This report provides a comprehensive account of China’s information environment under the rule of the CCP, with a particular focus on developments since President Xi Jinping’s ascent to power. It offers a critical analysis of how systematic, state-led efforts to control and manipulate information are affecting various sectors of society—including the information supply chain, public access to information, and the operating conditions of businesses (especially within the due diligence sector), civil society groups, journalists, and academics engaged with China. Drawing on evidence-based insights from multiple perspectives, the report seeks to inform a broad range of stakeholders—from policymakers and international businesses to civil society organisations and academic institutions—and encourages collaborative efforts to address the challenges posed by China’s information landscape and its impact on global information networks.
Resilience Innovation Lab gratefully acknowledges the invaluable contributions of several anonymous individuals and interviewees who chose not to reveal their identities for safety and security reasons. Their courage and insight have greatly enriched the depth and authenticity of this report. We sincerely hope that, in the near future, contributors and researchers will no longer feel compelled to hide their identities, but will instead be free to participate openly in the pursuit of a free, transparent, and open society in China.
We are delighted to announce that our second web3-backed open source database, China Open Courts, is available online!
China Open Courts aims to preserve and provide public access to judicial records from the People’s Republic of China that are at risk of disappearing from official sources. Below is an overview of the methodology adopted in this project, including our data collection strategies, scope of coverage, and plans for ensuring continued accuracy and relevance of the information.
Interested parties are welcome to reach out to our team at chinaopencourts@protonmail.com for further information, collaboration opportunities, or suggestions on additional keywords and topics to include.
To protect your identity and personal information, you are advised to use China Open Courts’ website with an encrypted device and VPN.
Teaser: New Research Report on Freedom of Information in Hong Kong
A new report on Hong Kong’s freedom of information will be launched soon! We hope this report can inspire more in-depth analysis and debates on Hong Kong’s information environment, and stimulate thoughts on safeguarding access to information in this city. We will provide further details in our next newsletter. Stay tuned!
