In my last post for 2025 in Forbes Digital Assets, here are the top 16 conferences to mark in your calendar for 2026, across 5 continents and 14 countries, with something in there for everyone 🔥📌
🇰🇪🇦🇹🇩🇪🇿🇦🇺🇸🇳🇴🇨🇿🇨🇭🇧🇷🇫🇮🇦🇪🇭🇰🇳🇱🇨🇦
On November 29 and 30, we hosted our annual #BtrustGathering at the Labourdonnais Waterfront Hotel in Port Louis, Mauritius 🇲🇺.
This year’s theme, mapping the future ofnopen‑source collaboration across the Global South, set the tone for two days of deep learning, open conversation, and collective action.
We welcomed around 75 participants from across our community, including the Btrust team, grantees, and members from nostr:nprofile1qqsg6gcf7gx74c2ls58vl653mlaah68ddk4wrj5gg8kux3walma4zwcpz4mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduhszrnhwden5te0dehhxtnvdakz7qghwaehxw309aex2mrp0yh8qunfd4skctnwv46z7lufrz8, nostr:nprofile1qqsd6j6yks9vne0us4ksdp7pqa38ucf94le4per0xnfzh23xrg2njgspzamhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumn0wd68ytnzv9hxgtc7qjgfj, nostr:nprofile1qqsgkt24wdkaksa8exnxgy6tmzs42tra8g30mvplcmk3eqar0z30rxgpremhxue69uhkummnw3ez6ur4vgh8wetvd3hhyer9wghxuet59uq36amnwvaz7tmwdaehgu3dwfjkccte9e6kuar9w358ytndv5hszgmhwden5te0dehhxarj94mx2unfve5k2epwwajkcmr0wfjx2u3wdejhgtcclg4q2 and nostr:nprofile1qqsgc8mpvvr9y0qeh896dew894lcal24jsrzpaq0yjjlrujn4jfphgspzdmhxue69uhkummnw3ezu7nzvshxwee0qy2hwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnyv9kh2uewd9hj7qghwaehxw309aex2mrp0yh8qunfd4skctnwv46z7dyy9h6. Together, we explored the evolving landscape of open‑source Bitcoin development and how collaboration can accelerate progress across the Global South.
Two days of exchanges, workshops, and genuine connection reminded us of the power of community and what’s possible when developers across the Global South co‑create the future of open‑source Bitcoin development.
We’re deeply grateful to everyone who joined us, and we’re looking forward to the work ahead of us.
https://blossom.primal.net/32dbbdfc22e2c713e29a57c134a6b073ab8585ca555cd4cfca0876b1486b5d04.mp4
This is just the beginning 🌎🌍🌏🔥
We recently announced our Q4 2025 Btrust Developer Grant recipients at this year’s #BtrustDeveloperDay 🚀
We’re celebrating six exceptional Bitcoin open‑source developers from across Africa who are driving forward decentralization, privacy, and scalability in the Bitcoin ecosystem.
This cohort includes four starter grant recipients and two long‑term open‑source cohort members, all building critical infrastructure that strengthens the global Bitcoin ecosystem.
Read the full announcement and meet the recipients on our blog: https://blog.btrust.tech/announcing-q4-2025-btrust-developer-grant-recipients/
The Btrust Starter Grant empowers software engineers to contribute to open‑source Bitcoin development full‑time, offering mentorship, community support, and the freedom to focus on impactful, long‑term projects.
Shammah Destiny Agwor is advancing privacy and reliability within Rust‑Payjoin, enhancing transaction‑level privacy through metrics‑driven adoption tracking, performance optimizations, and security enhancements. He will also lead the creation of a community Payjoin PR Review Club to onboard new contributors.
Mohamed Emad is improving Bitcoin privacy infrastructure by enhancing the Mill‑IO event‑loop library and leading the migration of Coinswap to an event‑driven architecture. His work will bring Bitcoin‑specific performance optimizations, a new RPC framework, and detailed developer documentation to strengthen privacy and scalability.
Simon focuses on mining decentralization through the Stratum V2 Template Provider and sv2‑apps. As co‑founder of BitDevs Nairobi, Btrust Builders faculty member, and Bitcoin educator who has facilitated developer bootcamps both within and outside Kenya, he is helping nurture the next generation of open‑source contributors.
Ifeanyichukwu Amajuoyi is strengthening Lightning infrastructure through production‑level improvements to LDK‑Server, adding PostgreSQL support for high availability, a unified logging system, and comprehensive telemetry. His work addresses core stability and operability for Lightning Service Providers (LSPs) worldwide.
The Btrust Long‑Term Grant sustains established open‑source contributors with year‑long support, mentoring, and funding to help them expand their impact across vital Bitcoin projects.
Abdullahi Yunus, a former Starter Grantee and Btrust Builders alum, is deepening his work on Onion Messaging (BOLT 4) and BOLT 12 Offers in LND, pushing forward privacy‑preserving, invoice‑less Lightning payments. He will also enhance Lightning Polar with new developer tooling and testing features to support broader interoperability in the Lightning Network.
Sulaiman Aminu Barkindo is driving VLS (Validating Lightning Signer) to mainnet readiness, integrating secure persistence, fuzz testing, dual funding, and splicing support while improving entropy security and enterprise‑scale validation. His long‑term focus on security and enclave deployments will make VLS production‑ready for non‑custodial Lightning operators.
Five of the six recipients are graduates of the Btrust Builders program, which offers structured learning pathways covering Bitcoin fundamentals, open‑source contribution practices, and mentorship from seasoned Bitcoin developers.
Their journey, from Builders graduates to funded grantees, highlights Btrust’s commitment to cultivating long‑term open‑source careers in the Global South and expanding the network of independent Bitcoin contributors worldwide.
Applications are now open for the 2026 ₿OSS (Bitcoin Open‑Source Software) Challenge, a structured, hands‑on program for developers taking their first steps into Bitcoin open‑source development, created by Chaincode Labs.
Learn about the ₿OSS Challenge: https://blog.btrust.tech/btrust-builders-chaincode-labs-partner-again-for-the-2026-boss-challenge/
Apply for the 2026 cohort: https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/chaincodelabs/jobs/4067627009
BOSS Challenge cohort applications close December 31st, 2025.
Btrust developer grant applications are open year-round, with new recipients announced quarterly.
If you’re a developer passionate about contributing to Bitcoin open-source development, we encourage you to apply.
Learn more about our grant programs and apply through our website: https://www.btrust.tech/grants/developer
Welcome our last set of grantees for 2025. Congratulations to these rockstars! 💪🔥
💥Celebrating Nigerian Abubakar Nur Khalil as our #1 Most Impactful African Bitcoiner of 2025!🇳🇬
Our #1 crowns the visionary nostr:npub1sn0q3zptdcm8qh8ktyhwtrnr9htwpykav8qnryhusr9mcr9ustxqe4tr2x, Nigerian trailblazer illuminating Bitcoin's open-source frontier for the Global South. As CEO of @btrustteam and @rcrsvcapital, he's a force decentralizing development, arming African devs with elite training, grants, and unbreakable conviction to code the future, while spreading adoption through multilingual resources, youth mentorship, and cross-continent collaborations that onboard thousands to self-sovereign finance.
In 2025, Abubakar's impact was profound: appointed full-time CEO of Btrust after interim leadership to accelerate open-source empowerment, including Bitcoin Core reviews for v30.0 backports and rc3 while refreshing the board for sustainable growth; launching Btrust Builders tracks like "Mastering Bitcoin" and "Rust for Bitcoiners" to skill up developers for protocol advancements and core contributions; distributing Q3 Developer Grants to six innovators including four Africans enhancing Bitcoin Core and Lightning tools with his own long-term grant fueling full-time work on fee estimation, Cluster Mempool, and package relay; securing starter funding for Bitcoin Dev Kit (BDK) to author and review dozens of pull requests boosting wallet interoperability and efficiency, and inspiring young stackers through Digital Assets contributions on Africa's Bitcoin evolution.
We deeply appreciate everything Abubakar and his unstoppable team are doing to Bitcoinize Africa.
Africa celebrates and extends unreserved appreciation. Thank you!
👇Learn more about Abubakar Nur Khalil our 1st Most Impactful African Bitcoiner 2025!
https://bitcoiners.africa/the-most-impactful-african-bitcoiners-of-2025/
Thank you so much, honored! This is for all to the young folks in Africa, thank you for all you do 🙏🏽🔥
With Africa's rise in share of global Bitcoin mining hashrate now just under 4%, the question is how this hash power is being used and by whom 📌
In my latest for Forbes Crypto, I look into Africa's "Hashrate Exfiltration Problem" and future outlook.
"Put simply, “hashrate exfiltration” is the use of a region's hashrate by a foreign entity or power in furtherance of its interests, often at the region's expense. [...] The legacy of resource extraction in Africa may see another unfortunate renaissance in Bitcoin mining if care is not taken."
"Africa’s resilience against all these odds will set the global template for building resilient money and energy infrastructure, ensuring a future of hope and abundance for all."
Applications for the Btrust Board are now open! 📢
If you’re passionate about strengthening Bitcoin open-source development across the Global South, this is your opportunity to make a meaningful impact.
🗓️ Application Deadline: 22nd December, 2025
📬 Notifications: By 26th January, 2026
Learn more and apply here: https://forms.gle/o1kvTsQynRzAesBZ8
We are looking for Bitcoin-only, mission-aligned, principles-led, and focused people to join our Board.
Applications for the Btrust Board are now open, goodluck! 🔥
nostr:nprofile1qqsgfhsg3q4kudnstnm9jth93e3jm4hqjtwkrsf3jt7gpjaupj7g9nqpzamhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuurjd9kkzmpwdejhgtctvc8ug, Btrust CEO and Bitcoin Core contributor, joins the #BtrustDeveloperDay lineup to share insights on the future of Bitcoin development across Africa.
Abubakar is one of the leading voices shaping the continent’s Bitcoin ecosystem, and also serves as CEO of nostr:nprofile1qqs2geajxsevea6rdmryeg3h35s4lsx3m26r4dlf05rdhc2pvdhe97cppemhxue69uhkummn9ekx7mp0w49gr5, a bitcoin-focused venture fund fueling innovative projects across the global Bitcoin landscape.
Through his leadership at Btrust, he drives initiatives that empower developers in the Global South with training and mentorship, helping cultivate the next generation of Bitcoin builders.
Beyond his technical and community-building work, Abubakar contributes to Forbes Digital Assets, where he shares thoughtful analysis on Bitcoin’s evolution and highlights key developments within Africa’s growing Bitcoin space.
Join Developer Day to hear Abubakar’s vision for a decentralized, sustainable Bitcoin ecosystem and the work being done to unlock Africa’s potential in global Bitcoin development.
👉 Secure your spot here: https://clooza.com/events/BTRUSTDEVELOPERDAY
In July, we put out a call for a Chief Executive Officer, and after a long, thoughtful, and rigorous selection process, we’re excited to share that nostr:nprofile1qqsgfhsg3q4kudnstnm9jth93e3jm4hqjtwkrsf3jt7gpjaupj7g9nqpzamhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuurjd9kkzmpwdejhgtctvc8ug has been appointed as the new CEO of Btrust.
Abubakar will be stepping down from his position on the Board to take on this full-time role, where he will report directly to the Btrust Board.
His appointment marks an important new chapter for Btrust as we continue our mission to strengthen and support open-source development across Africa and beyond.
This is a three-year term, with the possibility of renewal by a subsequent board for one additional three-year period.
Read more about the appointment, as featured on nostr:nprofile1qqsrr4r2zhmj6twysjmr0ht3rt009wlcxn0ruqeuq0aluwejnku3ctgpzamhxue69uhkummnw3ezumn0dahx2uewvdhk6tcpzamhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuurjd9kkzmpwdejhgtcpr9mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuetwvdkxzan9vshx7un89uqnt7q9: https://bitcoinmagazine.com/builders/btrust-names-abubakar-nur-khalil-ceo
Join us in congratulating Abubakar on this new role and in looking forward to what’s ahead for us.
I want to say a huge thank you to nostr:nprofile1qqsgydql3q4ka27d9wnlrmus4tvkrnc8ftc4h8h5fgyln54gl0a7dgspp4mhxue69uhkummn9ekx7mqpxdmhxue69uhkuamr9ec8y6tdv9kzumn9wshkz7tkdfkx26tvd4urqctvxa4ryur3wsergut9vsch5dmp8pese6nj96 for starting this historic initiative. Thank you to everyone who has helped us along the way, the team, mentors, and community.
The Global Majority will lead Bitcoin development and ensure we all continue to have freedom money 🫂❤️
It is much easier to focus on what you don't have than to cherish what you do.
Shift your gaze. True strength lies in celebrating what you have; use that to fuel your focus and build from there.
Chance's was pretty good
The Clipse LET GOD SORT EM OUT is Album of the Year 🔥
My pleasure, always! Looking forward to round 2 🤝
Thanks again for having me nostr:nprofile1qy3hwumn8ghj7en9v4j8xtnwdaehgu3wvfskuep0dehhxarjdp5hxurpdehszrthwden5te0dehhxtnvdakqqgqe76msyvvump47sc59d6482q0kqjaafymwqphfrrxwzwdj55xn3qy69wl9, I really enjoyed the convo and unpacking the Bitcoin ecosystem and recent developments, our work at Btrust and more 💪🔥
I had a blast. Glad I could make things easy, I deeply enjoyed the pod, conversation we had and your well thought out questions. Thank you so much for the kind words, warmth, and doing this. I look forward to seeing you again and doing another one.
Looking forward to this, great convo with CK from nostr:nprofile1qqspna4hqgceekrtap3g2m42w5qlvp9m6jfkuqrwjxxvuyum9fgd8zqpydmhxue69uhkvet9v3ejumn0wd68ytnzv9hxgtmwdaehgungd9ehqctwduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0dspun022 📌
At Btrust, we believe visa restrictions should never be the deciding factor for limiting the growth of Bitcoin FOSS engineers.
Incredibly proud about the "Btrust Pull Partnership", excited to see how this evolves 🔥
https://blog.btrust.tech/introducing-the-btrust-pull-partnership/