Ali Erakat: Zakat Coin Innovation | Ali J. Erakat

Zakat Coin was inspired by three major parts of my life coming together at the perfect time:

1. Lena — the “Queen of Charity”

When I met Lena, she was running a jewelry line built entirely around giving back. Every business she created had charity at the center. She later became the Executive Director of a 501(c)(3) nonprofit while raising three kids.

She lives with a pure heart for philanthropy. Her passion for helping people made me rethink what charity could look like on a bigger scale.

2. My return to Islam in early 2025

When we moved to New Jersey in 2019, I lived a few miles away from my cousin Dr. Muhammad Erekat. He never pushed religion — he simply lived Islam with sincerity, kindness, and discipline.

From 2019 to 2025, I fasted Ramadan every year and joined him and his family during the last ten nights of prayer. I didn’t notice it at first, but being around him brought me closer to Allah in a natural, organic way.

In 2025, everything clicked.

Islam brought me clarity.

The Qur’an tied everything together.

I realized that zakat, a system perfected 1,400 years ago, was essentially the purest form of transparent financial distribution — the same thing blockchain is trying to build today.