We’re proud to announce that Btrust has awarded over $1 million in our first round of 2025 Developer Education and Event Grants, supporting 10 initiatives advancing open-source Bitcoin development across Africa, Latin America, and India. 🚀 This round includes four developer education programs shaping the future of Bitcoin contributors in the Global South. We’re supporting Summer of Bitcoin, Vinteum, Bitshala, and Bitcoin For Open Source (B4OS) by Librería de Satoshi. Both Bitshala and B4OS will also be receiving long-term support, allowing them to scale sustainably and focus on impact without the pressure of constant fundraising. We’re also backed four major Bitcoin conferences and events: Adopting Bitcoin Cape Town 🇿🇦, Bitcoin++ Florianópolis 🇧🇷, Dakar Bitcoin Days 🇸🇳, and the Africa Bitcoin Conference. Beyond conferences, we’re funding developer bootcamps and learning formats that reach developers where they are. Africa Free Routing’s Lightning Bootcamps are onboarding experienced devs from the tech and digital assets world into Lightning development, while Base58’s LARP Tutor Training in Mauritius is equipping leaders with tools to teach Bitcoin in a hands-on, engaging way. Each of these projects plays a unique role in strengthening the Bitcoin open-source pipeline, from discovery and onboarding to technical training and ecosystem growth. And together, they reflect our ongoing commitment to building long-term infrastructure for Bitcoin development in the Global South. Read the full blog and meet the grantees here:

Btrust Blog

Introducing the First Round of 2025 Btrust Event and Developer Education Grants

$1M+ awarded across 10 initiatives in the first round of 2025 Btrust grants, powering Bitcoin open-source development in the Global South.

Learn more and explore our grant programs:

Grants

Get funding to work on Free and Open-Source Bitcoin projects

Big thanks to the @HRF team for featuring us in this week’s Financial Freedom Report. Read this issue and subscribe here:

Human Rights Foundation

HRF's Weekly Financial Freedom Report #73

Good morning, readers! This week, we bring reports from Bangladesh, where the interim government instructed the central bank to halt the printing o...

We kick off activities this weekend in Kaduna 🇳🇬 with the Kaduna Bitcoin Seminar, followed by the Lightning Development Bootcamp. Cc @Africa Free Routing @African Bitcoiners

What does it take to go from juggling short-term startup gigs to becoming a full-time Bitcoin open-source contributor? In our latest Btrust Blog, Abdullahi Yunus walks us through his path from discovering Bitcoin in 2023, joining the Btrust Builders Fellowship, contributing to projects like LND and Polar, and finally being awarded the Btrust Starter Grant. This is a must-read for developers curious about Bitcoin open-source development and how Btrust supports that journey. Read his story here:

Btrust Blog

From Startups to Satoshis: My Bitcoin Journey

My journey from discovering Bitcoin to becoming a Btrust Builder and eventually a Btrust grantee.

We’re excited to welcome Brandon Odiwuor and Itoro Ukpong as the latest recipients of the Btrust Starter Grant 🚀 This grant allows recipients to explore different areas within Bitcoin development, identify a focus for long-term contributions, and engage deeply with the Bitcoin open-source community without financial constraints. These talented developers are making impactful contributions to open-source Bitcoin projects, strengthening the ecosystem and expanding Bitcoin’s accessibility. • Brandon is focused on improving Bitcoin Core’s testing infrastructure, build system, and developer tooling, while also engaging with the community through Nairobi BitDevs. • Itoro is enhancing Bitcoinj and BDK-FFI, improving wallet development, mobile privacy features, and Schnorr/PSBT support, and also driving Bitcoin education as an organizer for BitDevs Accra. At Btrust, we are committed to supporting open-source Bitcoin developers in the Global South, ensuring they have the resources to build, contribute, and grow. Btrust grants are open year-round. Learn more about the grants and apply here:

Grants

Get funding to work on Free and Open-Source Bitcoin projects