Mobilizing public resources to help vulnerable people get through threatening challenges is a universal principle. International support in times of crisis is also a widely accepted principle, as in environmental and public health catastrophes, international financial crises, or other emergencies. International financial cooperation during the COVID-19 pandemic was a case in point, although it was insufficient in amount and most of the assistance took the form of loans, adding to the debt burden of many already heavily indebted governments (United Nations, 2022). The need for additional international support during emergencies should be evident, but unmet emergency food aid needs grew by 23% in 2023 and only 35% of the international funding formally requested for hunger relief globally was provided (Action Against Hunger, 2024). Raising more domestic and international revenue from taxation should be considered. This article proposes that to better meet global emergency needs, a common, modest transaction tax should be collected from all registered crypto trading platforms. Trading in crypto assets – including purchases and sales of crypto ‘coins’ using conventional fiat money or investment in non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and other crypto-denominated assets – will increasingly fall into the sights of tax collectors, as the international ‘Roadmap on Crypto Assets’ is implemented.¹ A multilateral initiative would share the transaction tax revenues collected with cash-strapped developing country social protection systems during emergencies.