We’re excited to announce that we are partnering with Open Source Community Africa (OSCA) to sponsor the 4th edition of OSCAFEST this August. 🚀

OSCAFEST is Africa’s largest open-source festival, bringing together developers, students, designers, and organizations to share knowledge, spark new ideas, and strengthen open-source communities.

This year’s theme, Beyond Borders, is about pushing past traditional boundaries in technology and collaboration. It invites participants to work together across countries, industries, and areas of expertise, enabling bold innovation, inclusivity, and growth for Africa’s tech community.

📅 Save the date: August 14 – 16, 2025

📍 Landmark Event Centre, Lagos, Nigeria 🇳🇬

Secure your spot and be part of this exciting event: https://tix.africa/discover/osf-25

👉 Learn more about our partnership and what it means for Africa’s tech community in our blog: https://blog.btrust.tech/btrust-partners-with-the-open-source-community-africa-to-sponsor-oscafest-2025/

📢 We're inviting applications for the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Btrust.

Btrust is a non-profit organization working to decentralize the development of Bitcoin software by supporting open-source developers across Africa and the Global South.

We’re seeking a principles-led leader to guide our next phase of growth; someone with a track record of impact, strong leadership, stakeholder engagement, and deep alignment with mission-driven or technical work.

As CEO, you’ll shape and oversee strategy and execution across our core areas: identifying and supporting developers, delivering high-quality Bitcoin education, funding open-source work, and strengthening open-source infrastructure and community.

Until the appointment of the new CEO, nostr:nprofile1qqsgfhsg3q4kudnstnm9jth93e3jm4hqjtwkrsf3jt7gpjaupj7g9nqppemhxue69uhkummn9ekx7mp0d8pd4w will continue as interim CEO to ensure leadership continuity.

👉 Learn more about the role and apply here: https://micro.green-park.co.uk/btrust/

We’re excited to share the Q2 2025 Btrust Developer Grant recipients. This round features three new Starter Grant and two renewed Long Term grantees, all driving open-source Bitcoin development.

Check out the full list of grantees here: https://blog.btrust.tech/announcing-q2-2025-btrust-developer-grant-recipients/

Starter Grants empower talented engineers to contribute full-time to open-source Bitcoin development, giving them the flexibility and security to identify their specialty and deepen their community involvement.

Sulaiman Aminu Barkindo is focusing his efforts on the Validating Lightning Signer (VLS) project. With the support of the Starter Grant, he’ll be working on enhancing HTLC security, advancing on-chain state enforcement and disaster recovery, optimizing signer performance for rapid synchronization, and ensuring robust data persistence. He’s also expanding system test coverage and implementing advanced tools to bring VLS closer to production-readiness, helping make non-custodial, secure Lightning solutions more reliable and accessible, especially where self-custody is essential.

Peter Tyonum is making Bitcoin wallet development more approachable and powerful through the Bitcoin Dev Kit (BDK) libraries. He’s focused on releasing bdk-cli version 1.0.0, integrating new features like hardware wallet support, building advanced wallet templates, and improving compatibility with chain clients and RPC proxies. Peter will also be expanding documentation and contributing code reviews across the ecosystem.

Jamal ERRAKIBI is dedicating himself to boosting the stability and usability of rust-bitcoin. His priorities include regular code reviews, expanding documentation, improving serialization consistency, and helping guide core rust-bitcoin libraries towards a stable release. This work will support both core developers and newcomers as Bitcoin’s open-source foundation continues to grow.

The Btrust Long Term Grant helps experienced contributors continue making high-impact, sustainable advances in Bitcoin infrastructure. Both Long Term Grant renewals will provide two more years of dedicated support to each recipient.

Duncan Dean is working on the Lightning Development Kit, particularly advancing dual-funded channels. He is enabling funding contributions from channel acceptors, introducing robust APIs for channel initiators, and developing interactive fee-bumping. Duncan’s future plans include pioneering simple taproot channels to enhance privacy and exploring the integration of Point Time Locked Contracts.

Abubakar Sadiq Ismail is deepening his work on Bitcoin Core, focusing on fee estimation improvements and strengthening mempool infrastructure. He’s developing a cluster-aware fee estimator, contributing to multiprocess support and mining interface testing, and continuing to mentor new contributors, host review sessions, and advance his expertise in Bitcoin cryptography.

At Btrust, we believe supporting developer talent is key to a stronger, more decentralized Bitcoin. Our grant applications are open year-round, and new grantees are announced every quarter. If you’re passionate about contributing to Bitcoin open-source, we encourage you to apply.

Visit our website to learn more about our ongoing grant programs: https://www.btrust.tech/grants

We’re excited to announce that we're partnering with nostr:nprofile1qqsd0f68dvf98gvs9am9dp0lu0f4r7xzu2k89rm9tt448axf5tu6wlgpzamhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumn0wd68ytnzv9hxgtcdgv90x, the largest Bitcoin conference in Europe, to bring you this year’s Dev/Hack/Day. 🚀

This one-day, in-person event will be happening at Hotel Duo in Prague and is for anyone who’s interested in Bitcoin technology.

You’ll get to dive into sessions covering the foundations of Bitcoin technology, the latest Layer 2 solutions, next-generation digital cash, and user-friendly Bitcoin design.

Plus, our team will be running workshop sessions throughout the day, so come join us, learn and connect.

Our CEO, nostr:nprofile1qqsgfhsg3q4kudnstnm9jth93e3jm4hqjtwkrsf3jt7gpjaupj7g9nqpz4mhxue69uhkummnw3ezummcw3ezuer9wchsjnruhr, will also be speaking this Thursday at BTC Prague on the panel, “Behind the Magic: Why Bitcoin Technology Just Works.” If you’re curious about what makes Bitcoin secure, reliable, and built to endure, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

Visit https://btcprague.com/dev-hack-day/ to learn more about Dev/Hack/Day, get tickets, and stay updated.

See you in Prague! 🇨🇿

At this year’s Oslo Freedom Forum 🇳🇴, our CEO nostr:nprofile1qqsgfhsg3q4kudnstnm9jth93e3jm4hqjtwkrsf3jt7gpjaupj7g9nqpz4mhxue69uhkummnw3ezummcw3ezuer9wchsjnruhr took the stage during the Freedom Tech track to share the story of Btrust and our mission to decentralize open-source Bitcoin development across the Global South.

Abubakar spoke about the work we’ve been doing to build an ecosystem of African Bitcoin developers, from the early days with just a few contributors to now reaching thousands through grants, education, and infrastructure support.

His message was clear: those most affected by financial repression must be empowered to build the tools that safeguard financial freedom. That’s why Btrust exists, to educate developers, fund talent, and grow a developer base that reflects the communities Bitcoin was built to serve.

It was also an honor to have our Engineering Lead Kelvin Isievwore, along with Theophilus Isah, Olutobi Adeyemi and Duncan Dean, representing Btrust at the conference.

A huge thank you to the nostr:nprofile1qqs0rxy6jmt44guxkny8z4pkym9mxckqxfytygxuntjn6l80hj409sgpzfmhxue69uhky6t5wd6xzcmt9eshquqpzfmhxue69uhhqatjwpkx2urpvuhx2ucpzamhxue69uhkxcfwdaexzmn8v4cxjmrv9ejx2asult5ph team for bringing together such a thoughtful, impactful group of individuals working at the intersection of technology and freedom.

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: https://blog.btrust.tech/introducing-the-btrust-2025-event-and-education-grants/

Learn more and explore our grant programs: https://btrust.tech/grants

Big thanks to the nostr:nprofile1qqs0rxy6jmt44guxkny8z4pkym9mxckqxfytygxuntjn6l80hj409sgpzfmhxue69uhky6t5wd6xzcmt9eshquqpzfmhxue69uhhqatjwpkx2urpvuhx2ucpzamhxue69uhkxcfwdaexzmn8v4cxjmrv9ejx2asult5ph team for featuring us in this week’s Financial Freedom Report.

Read this issue and subscribe here: https://hrf.org/latest/hrfs-weekly-financial-freedom-report-73/

We kick off activities this weekend in Kaduna 🇳🇬 with the Kaduna Bitcoin Seminar, followed by the Lightning Development Bootcamp.

Cc nostr:nprofile1qqsfrhzkwjd75qmakyktt094juryeuuedu9u3dz82f5shansr9us4ugppemhxue69uhkummn9ekx7mp062tfpc nostr:nprofile1qqsq0q9n9t2qvkvtcnem08q84yqx8tr0kcvwdys4zc5wk2k0ly6t29gpr3mhxue69uhkummnw3ez6ur4vgh8xetdd9ek7mpwv3jhvtcpr4mhxue69uhkummnw3ezucnfw33k76twv4ezuum0vd5kzmp0qy2hwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnyv9kh2uewd9hj7d60meq

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: https://blog.btrust.tech/from-startups-to-satoshis-my-bitcoin-journey/

Shoutout to nostr:nprofile1qyf8wumn8ghj7vfwdehh5arj9e3k7mf0qyd8wumn8ghj7ctxwf5kxcfwdehhxarj9e4x7cn4wfnj7qpqq7qtx2k5qevch38nk7wq02gqvwkxldscu6fp293gav4vl7f5k52sd9fjs8 & nostr:nprofile1qyf8wumn8ghj7ctnw3exzmpwde5ku6npqyt8wumn8ghj7mn0wd68yt3jx9ekzarn9ehx2aqqypgkaj3yu5a49scqe4mss8vkh27mv6dtkf32um5qrw3ymqjy4hn7qnje79q for their great work growing Bitcoin communities across Africa.

We’re proud to back their efforts with a grant to help bring 5 new Lightning development bootcamps to life ⚡️

nostr:nevent1qvzqqqqqqypzqpuqkv4dgpje30z08duuq75sqcavd7mp3e5jz5tz36e2elunfdg4qqsdm25y0nm52qgn2ua68uj7hardy3xp4fwxgqhw6gaxvp9xzmhg43s08d7l2

We’re planning the next edition of #BtrustDeveloperDay, and we’d like to hear your thoughts.

What topics should we cover? Who should speak? What would make it valuable for you as an attendee, builder, contributor, or supporter of Bitcoin open-source development?

Drop your ideas in our input form and help us co-create an event that reflects the community: https://forms.gle/rEXu2gu15HKVPgeVA

In December 2024, we hosted the first-ever Btrust Developer Day, in partnership with the nostr:nprofile1qqsx4kgvrpme9927f4zvsxvw6z24snlj84w9fksu5yp06nyagu2vd8gppemhxue69uhkummn9ekx7mp0qy28wumn8ghj7mn0wd68yt3kxqczuam5vchs4p4hj2.

It was a space where African developers came together to build, learn and explore the open-source Bitcoin ecosystem.

From hands-on sessions to deep technical conversations, it was a reminder that Africa isn’t waiting to be included, we’re already building.

📹 Watch the highlights and stay tuned for updates on what’s next.

#BtrustDeveloperDay #ABC25

https://m.primal.net/QBsr.mp4

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: https://www.btrust.tech/grants

Open-source Bitcoin development is growing across the Global South, and we’re bringing together key voices to discuss how to empower developers, fund innovation, and build a stronger Bitcoin ecosystem.

Join us for an insightful conversation.

📅 Date: Thursday, March 13, 2024

⏰ Time: 5PM UTC | 6PM WAT | 7PM SAST | 8PM EAT

Set a reminder & join us live: https://x.com/i/spaces/1BdGYqmbaOYGX

We will cover:

💡 An overview of Btrust and the open-source Bitcoin development ecosystem in the Global South

🚀 The Btrust Builders Program and how it supports new & experienced devs

💰 Funding opportunities through Btrust Grants

🎤 Live Q&A. Ask your questions & engage with industry leaders.

Our speakers of the day include:

• Abubakar Nur Khalil - Bitcoin Core Contributor & Btrust CEO

• Kelvin Isievwore - Btrust Engineering Lead

• Stephanie Titcombe - Program Lead, Btrust Builders

• Brandon Odiwuor - Bitcoin Core contributor and Btrust Grantee

• Duncan Dean - Lightning Dev Kit contributor and Btrust grantee

Whether you're an aspiring Bitcoin developer, a seasoned contributor, or an ecosystem supporter, this space will give you insights into how to start, grow, and contribute to Bitcoin development.

Thanks 🧡

Thanks for the warm welcome 🤗

🚀🥳

Lovely to be here. Looking forward to interacting on here 🤗

Thank you 🤗

Thanks Maya

Thanks Lamar 🤗