Founded in 2021 with a generous 500 BTC donation from Jack Dorsey and Jay-Z, we believe that decentralization of the people building for and on Bitcoin enhances its resilience, reach, and relevance as a global currency.
Btrust Builders is our program designed to educate existing software developers from Africa about Bitcoin and Lightning development to start them on their journey as open-source Bitcoin contributors. The application is open all year round for mid-to-senior level engineers who are ready for the transition.
We have two grant schemes for developers who want to start or continue their contribution efforts to open-source Bitcoin projects.
This grant supports software developers new to Bitcoin open-source contributions. It provides full-time funding for six months to help you focus on key projects and prepare a strong proposal for long-term support.
Working in open source can feel isolating, especially for developers in the Global South facing pay and career uncertainties.
Our Open Source Cohort offers support, allowing you to contribute to Bitcoin projects independently within a supportive team framework.
Our builders run BitDev meetups across thirteen African cities—Abuja, Accra, Cotonou, Douala, Gitega, Goma, Johannesburg, Kaduna, Kampala, Kano, Lagos, Nairobi, and Uyo, —with support from Btrust in administration, communication, and funding. The goal is to expand these meetups to more African cities, growing the pipeline.
These monthly meetups follow the established BitDevs format and are highly localized. They offer a high-signal environment to deepen understanding of Bitcoin development and communicate opportunities within the technical community.
We are excited to present the recipients of our Q2 Starter Grants and welcome returning members to the Btrust Open-Source Cohort. This quarter, three engineers have been awarded the Btrust Starter Grant, empowering them to work full-time on open-source Bitcoin projects and deepen their impact on the ecosystem.
In this round of support, Btrust awarded a total of $1,004,010 across 10 grants; specifically, four developer education, two events, and four conferences.
The MIT Bitcoin Hackathon, held annually, brings together participants worldwide for a 30-hour coding sprint, either in-person at MIT or virtually. This year’s event, running April 4–6, featured three tracks: Bitcoin, Lightning & Taproot; Warnet Game; and Decentralized Applications.
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Btrust Builders
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