Here is my talk on the โ€œEvolution of Bitcoin VC Funding in Africaโ€ from the AfroBitcoin 2023 conference. In it, I explore the evolution and future outlook of the Bitcoin VC landscape in Africa ๐ŸŒ๐Ÿ”ฅ YT Link ๐ŸŽฅ (8 mins)
With all the ETF news taking up bandwidth, I thought it would be worthwhile to document what I think is a very important project, announced at last week's Adopting Bitcoin Cape Town conf. The Bitcoin Java Card project by KG, developer of Machankura, could be the missing piece to bringing Bitcoin to billions in Africa, and globally. https://www.forbes.com/sites/digital-assets/2024/01/31/bitcoin-java-cards-could-help-bank-millions-in-africa--billions-next/?sh=2622f8296bde
We are hiring a Chief Executive Officer for Btrust ๐Ÿ”ฅ Btrust is a non-profit organization established to decentralize the development of free and open-source Bitcoin software. Initially focused on Africa, our mission is to locate, educate, and remunerate developers in the global south to contribute to the Bitcoin protocol and its associated technology stack. Although no prior Bitcoin experience is necessary, weโ€™re seeking a leader who shares our enthusiasm for Bitcoinโ€™s potential and values and the importance of a decentralized contributor community collaborating to shape the future of global money. If this sounds like you, go ahead and apply here:
Jobs
On friday, the Central Bank of Nigeria released a circular reversing its bitcoin ban ๐Ÿ”ฅ Given the scant information available online on the circular and questions I've been getting from folks, I decided to distill the 11-page document into a piece, which I've just published. The piece walks through the details of the CBN's circular, important changes, and its effects going into 2024. Hopefully this provides more clarity on this important development. https://www.forbes.com/sites/abubakarnurkhalil/2023/12/24/nigerian-central-bank-issues-circular-reversing-2021-bitcoin-ban/?sh=69910ce57350
In the end, Bitcoin mining will thrive where its value proposition is understood and appreciated the most.
In my latest piece for Forbes, I cover the growing Bitcoin mining space in Africa ๐ŸŒ Specifically, how Africans are turning to Bitcoin mining as a viable way to bring cheap and reliable electricity to the more than 500 million people across the continent currently lacking it. I hope this provides some insight for those interested in the Bitcoin mining space in Africa. https://www.forbes.com/sites/abubakarnurkhalil/2023/05/24/africans-are-pioneering-the-bright-yet-complicated-green-future-of-bitcoin-mining/?sh=292a125354ac
In religion, as in war and everything else, comfort is the one thing you cannot get by looking for it. If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end: if you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truthโ€”only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin with and, in the end, despair. โ€” C. S. Lewis
In my first piece for Forbes as a contributor, I decided to explore the Naira crisis and its relationship to Bitcoin adoption in ๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡ฌ I hope this helps shed light on the nuances missing in the naira crisis conversation that needed to be addressed, especially the fungibility โ€˜trilemaโ€™. The situation is yet another factor contributing to more Nigerians moving to Bitcoin. https://www.forbes.com/sites/abubakarnurkhalil/2023/03/01/the-naira-crisis-is-fuelling-bitcoin-adoption-in-nigeria