Over the past few years, BitDevs communities across Africa have been building technical spaces rooted in learning, openness, and collaboration. Today, we’re sharing the guide that brings those lessons together.
The BitDevs Playbook v0.1.0 is the first public release of a practical, open‑source guide for building and sustaining Bitcoin‑only technical communities across the Global South.
Grounded in real experience from BitDevs communities across Africa, it explains what BitDevs is, why the model works, and how to start, run, and sustain high‑quality technical meetups with shared standards around learning, privacy, neutrality, and non‑commercial focus.
In the accompanying blog, we reflect on why BitDevs matters, how the model creates space for open discussion and open‑source contribution, and how communities across Africa have grown beyond monthly meetups into hubs of ongoing learning and collaboration:
Btrust Blog
Introducing the BitDevs Playbook
A practical guide for building and sustaining Bitcoin-only technical communities across the Global South.
Many of these communities, supported by organizations like Btrust and
@Bitcoin Zambia, have helped members access advanced programs such as Chaincode Labs’ BOSS program and the
@npub1353s...gajp pathways.
Some members have gone on to start careers in Bitcoin open‑source development, supported by organizations like Btrust and the
@HRF, while others have gone on to build products and projects of their own.
The Playbook is fully open‑source and community‑driven. It covers the full lifecycle of a BitDevs location, from assessing local interest and hosting a first meetup, to maintaining quality, handling challenges, and even responsibly pausing or closing a location when needed.
It’s designed for organizers, sponsors, contributors, and anyone who cares about building credible, technically grounded Bitcoin communities.
Huge thanks to Stephanie Titcombe for authoring the playbook, and
@npub1sn0q...tr2x, Simon from BitDevsNBO, and Tobechi Chukwuleta for shaping this first release with their experience and feedback.
📘 Explore the Playbook to learn how to use it and contribute your insights here:
GitHub
GitHub - btrustteam/the-bitdevs-playbook: A practical guide for running technical bitcoin developer meetups across Africa
A practical guide for running technical bitcoin developer meetups across Africa - btrustteam/the-bitdevs-playbook
