rewrite this content and keep HTML tags as is. This is content from rss feed and I don’t need their *Daily Debrief Newsletter*, their tags from bottom like this *Share this articleCategoriesTags*, Editorial Process section, phrases like *Featured image from Peakpx, chart from Tradingview.com*, SPECIAL OFFERS and similar sections – just remove such sections and save only article itself:
Zach Anderson
May 19, 2026 15:37
Tor Project launches a Web3 crowdfunding campaign using crypto and quadratic funding to support anti-censorship tools amid rising global internet restrictions.
The Tor Project, a leading nonprofit in digital privacy, has launched its first Web3 crowdfunding campaign to support anti-censorship infrastructure. The campaign, which began May 19, will use cryptocurrencies and a quadratic funding model to back 10 nonprofit projects focused on privacy, secure communications, and censorship circumvention.
Contributions are being accepted in Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Zcash (ZEC), Monero (XMR), and Golem (GLM), reflecting the initiative’s alignment with decentralized technology. An initial $115,000 matching pool, funded by Cake Wallet, Zcash Community Grants, Logos, and Octant, will amplify community donations through June 18. This participatory model prioritizes breadth of donor participation over the size of contributions, ensuring smaller donors have a meaningful influence on funding decisions.
Why This Matters Now
The campaign comes as internet freedom faces unprecedented global challenges. According to Freedom House’s 2025 Freedom on the Net report, internet freedom has declined for 15 consecutive years, with almost 40% of assessed countries seeing worsening conditions. Asia has emerged as a censorship hotspot, with governments such as China, India, and Myanmar imposing over 50 restrictions in 2025 alone. In the West, the U.S. pulled out of the Freedom Online Coalition in January 2026, signaling reduced international leadership on digital rights.
“Quadratic funding is one of Web3’s answers to how critical infrastructure gets funded: Institutional money follows community signals, not the other way around,” said David Casey, director of Funding the Commons, a partner in the campaign. This approach aligns with the Tor Project’s mission to decentralize control and empower individuals.
The Broader Context
For over two decades, the Tor Project has been at the forefront of efforts to protect online privacy and combat censorship. Its flagship tool, the Tor Browser, enables anonymous communication by routing internet traffic through a network of encrypted relays. Approximately 36 million users worldwide rely on Tor-based tools to exercise freedom of expression and bypass censorship, particularly in heavily restricted countries like Iran and Myanmar.
In recent years, the Tor Project has doubled down on modernizing its technology stack. Notable milestones include the February 2026 launch of Arti 2.0.0, a Rust-based Tor client designed to improve performance and maintainability, and the successful April 2026 Cure53 audit of its upcoming mobile VPN. These developments highlight Tor’s commitment to adapting its tools for an increasingly hostile digital environment.
A Test for Decentralized Funding Models
The use of quadratic funding in this campaign is significant beyond the immediate fundraising goal. This model, which rewards greater community participation, is being tested as a scalable solution for sustaining critical digital infrastructure. With institutional funding for privacy tools often politically fraught, decentralized funding models like this could play a larger role in the future.
Privacy-focused cryptocurrencies like Zcash and Monero, already popular among users seeking anonymity, are central to the campaign. Their inclusion underscores the growing intersection between Web3 technologies and digital rights advocacy. The campaign also comes at a time when VPN use has surged globally, despite bans or restrictions in over a dozen countries, further highlighting the demand for censorship-resistant tools.
What’s Next
Donations for the campaign will remain open until June 18. The results will not only provide crucial funding for the selected projects but will also serve as a barometer for the viability of Web3-backed grassroots initiatives. As global internet restrictions intensify, the success of this campaign could shape how privacy advocates approach funding and collaboration in the years ahead.
Image source: Shutterstock
