Btrust is hiring! 🚀 We’re looking for a Programs & Operations Officer to help execute and scale Btrust’s programs, grants, and community infrastructure across the Global South. This is a full-time, remote role at the center of our work supporting Bitcoin developers, grassroots communities, and open-source education initiatives. If you’re a strong operator who enjoys coordinating programs, improving systems, and delivering impact in a mission-driven organization, we’d love to hear from you. 📅 Application deadline: February 13, 2026 Learn more about the role and apply here: https://btrust.homerun.co/programs-operations-officer/en

A big thank you to the @HRF team for featuring us in this week's edition of the Financial Freedom Report. 🧡 Read the full report and subscribe here:

Financial Freedom Report #106

We've been working on the BitDevs Playbook for a while, so it's incredibly rewarding to finally see it out in the world. The playbook is live and fully open-source, and you're welcome to give your feedback and contribute to it. You can access the playbook 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

Learn more about why developed it and what it aims to support:

Btrust Blog

Introducing the BitDevs Playbook

A practical guide for building and sustaining Bitcoin-only technical communities across the Global South.

We’re excited to be back at the @Adopting Bitcoin Cape Town Conference for the third year in a row and proud to return as a sponsor. 🚀 @Sharon Murugi and @npub1zm2d...f260 will be on-ground speaking at the conference and sharing more about the work we’ve been doing at Btrust. We’re looking forward to reconnecting with the community, meeting new builders, and continuing the conversation around building a more sustainable and decentralized future for Bitcoin. See you soon! #abct26

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 @Btrust Builders 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 @Abubakar Nur Khalil, 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

Highlights from the 2025 #BtrustGalaDinner ✨ We called, and you answered. The theme for the night was elegant, and attendees showed up and showed out. It was a night filled with joy, and incredible energy! The evening kicked off with aperitifs and light bites at the backstage lounge, setting the tone for relaxed networking and easy conversations. As guests made their way into the hall, the host, Paul Eke, got things started with ice-breakers, followed by a welcome address from @Abubakar Nur Khalil. @npub1kp7j...487l then shared a moving farewell, representing the outgoing inaugural Btrust Board. Since 2021, this board has been responsible for overseeing the delivery of Btrust’s mission, guiding the organization through its formative yea rs and setting the foundation for future success. We celebrate and thank them for their vision and leadership. The night also saw us celebrate the 2025 cohort of the Btrust Builders pathways, recognizing top students for their dedication, growth, and excellence throughout the program. A special moment was dedicated to celebrating Abubakar Nur Khalil and formally welcoming him into the office of the CEO. Under his leadership, Btrust has experienced a period of significant growth and transformation, moving from early groundwork to executing at scale. This includes expanding our programs, launching new partnerships, growing our developer reach, strengthening our grants review and delivery processes, and refining our internal systems and team structure. We wrapped up the evening with great food, drinks, dancing, and conversations, the perfect close to an unforgettable year. Thank you to everyone who joined us and made the night truly special. We hope to see you soon 🧡

On December 3rd, we hosted the #BtrustGalaDinner at the Hennessy Park Hotel in Mauritius 🇲🇺. It was an evening to pause, breathe, and celebrate after a year of hard work. Leaders, builders, and friends from across the Bitcoin ecosystem came together to reflect on our collective progress and strengthen the connections shaping Bitcoin’s future globally. A huge thank‑you to everyone who joined us and made the evening so special. 🧡

Events and conferences are often the gateway into Bitcoin open‑source development, spaces where curious builders can connect, learn, and take their first steps toward meaningful contribution. They’re where discovery turns into collaboration, and collaboration into lasting impact. That’s why we’re excited to present the recipients of our second round of 2025 Btrust event grants, supporting nine unique gatherings across Africa, Latin America, and beyond: • Dev/Hack/Day at @BTC Prague • OSCAFEST 2025 by Open Source Community Africa • Hack4Freedom by EVENTO • DevFest Mauritius 2025 by GDG Mauritius • Code & Chain: A Bitcoin Meetup by Bitnob • Bitcoin CoreDev Meetup organized by Brink • Bitcoin Dev Summit and Satsconf at the São Paulo Bitcoin Week • DevFest Lagos 2025 by GDG Lagos Each one is creating new entry points into the global Bitcoin developer ecosystem while strengthening the community in the Global South. Event Grants help keep these gateways open and inclusive, feeding into the long‑term pipeline of developer education programs, fellowships, and open‑source contribution, ensuring Bitcoin development remains decentralized and globally distributed. Read the full blog and meet the grantees:

Btrust Blog

Introducing the Second Round of 2025 Btrust Event Grant Recipients

Global, December 31, 2025 - At Btrust, we know that growing the Bitcoin open-source developer ecosystem starts with creating gateways; spaces where...

Applications for Btrust event grants are open year-round. Learn more and apply through our website: https://www.btrust.tech/grants/event

Highlights from this year's @Africa Bitcoin Conference in Mauritius 🇲🇺. On day one, our CEO, @Abubakar Nur Khalil, delivered his keynote on Btrust in 2026, sharing our achievements in 2025 and our strategic roadmap for the year ahead. Later that day, Abubakar Sadiq Ismail led a technical workshop on building a Bitcoin Node using the libbitcoinkernel library, introducing Bitcoin Core’s upcoming consensus engine. Day two featured a presentation on BTCPay Server plugins by Tobechi Chukwuleta, highlighting how plugins expand merchant tools and create new business opportunities. In the afternoon, Raj, CEO of @bitshala, spoke about training Bitcoin developers in India 🇮🇳 and the Global South, outlining a roadmap for developer growth and contribution. Day three brought education and collaboration to the fore, with Tuedon Tuoyo kicking off the BOSS Challenge by Chaincode Labs, giving participants a practical entry point into Bitcoin open‑source contribution. Applications for the BOSS Challenge are open until December 31st, offering aspiring developers a chance to join a hands‑on, skill‑building journey. Apply to join the 2026 cohort here:

Chaincode Labs

The final day was also a moment of pride for our community, as Abubakar Nur Khalil was named most impactful African Bitcoiner of 2025, and @Btrust Builders was recognized as the African Bitcoin project of 2025. A huge thank you to the @African Bitcoiners team for the recognition. As a sponsor, we also had a booth which was a point for conversations, and learning about our programs, with visitors leaving with exclusive merch and new ways to get involved. We are proud of the incredible representation from our ecosystem at #ABC2025 and grateful to everyone who interacted with us in Mauritius. We’re looking forward to the work ahead as we continue building the future of open‑source Bitcoin development across the Global South.🧡 #ABC25

We recently had the pleasure of sponsoring and taking part in this year’s @Africa Bitcoin Conference, held from December 3–5 at the Caudan Arts Centre in Port Louis, Mauritius 🇲🇺. The Africa Bitcoin Conference brings together builders, businesses, innovators, policymakers, and community members from across Africa and beyond, all working to advance Bitcoin on the continent. This year, we brought in over 90 people from across our ecosystem, including the Btrust team, grantees, members from @Btrust Builders, @bitshala, @npub13s0k...5g70, @Librería de Satoshi, #BtrustDeveloperDay speakers, and more, to attend the conference, lead sessions, and connect with the wider Bitcoin community. Beyond the sessions and conversations, we had a great time reconnecting, learning, and building alongside the community. Huge thanks to the Africa Bitcoin Conference organisers for the amazing event and for the work that went into making it a success. #ABC25 #ABC2025

Final call 🚨🚨 The next chapter of Btrust is being written-and this is your opportunity to be part of it. We’re looking for mission-driven leaders ready to contribute to governance, strategy, and long-term impact. Learn more & apply:

Call for Board Members

View quoted note →

This year’s #BtrustDeveloperDay in Mauritius 🇲🇺 was one for the books! 🎉 We welcomed over 260 attendees, far more than we’d expected, making it our biggest and most vibrant edition yet. This event was truly special, not just for the work that went into it, but for the connections and collaborations we made along the way. A huge thank you to all our speakers, booth exhibitors, and attendees for showing up, sharing knowledge, and making this year’s Developer Day an incredible success. 🙏 With 30+ speakers, hands-on workshops, live demos, lightning talks, and even games, the day was filled with energy, learning, and collaboration. From deep technical sessions on Bitcoin development, Lightning, privacy, and infrastructure to discussions on education, inclusion, and open‑source growth in Africa, there was something for every builder. We’ll be sharing a detailed recap and blog post soon, but for now, we just want to say thank you for being part of this growing community of Bitcoin builders. 🧡

We’re celebrating Duncan Dean, whose journey as a long-term Btrust grantee left a lasting mark. During his time with Btrust, Duncan led major progress on dual-funded channels in Lightning Dev Kit, contributed to the BOLTs specifications, and represented our community across global stages, from Nairobi 🇰🇪 to Cape Town 🇿🇦, Oslo 🇳🇴, Prague 🇨🇿, and Seoul 🇰🇷. Beyond his technical contributions, Duncan championed open-source collaboration and mentorship across Africa and beyond. Read the full story and discover what’s next for Duncan:

Btrust Blog

Celebrating Duncan Dean’s Journey with Btrust

At Btrust, we’ve been fortunate to support developers whose work strengthens the foundations of Bitcoin. Today, we celebrate the journey of Dunca...

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 @Btrust Builders, @bitshala, @Librería de Satoshi and @npub13s0k...5g70. 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.

"This is my first time outside India 🇮🇳 to an international bitcoin conference or gathering. The bar has been set really high for me now." Paperpsych from @bitshala. Day two of the 2025 #BtrustGathering built beautifully on the momentum from day one, diving deeper into collective learning and collaboration.

Day two of the #BtrustGathering began with an opening plenary, where participants shared takeaways and reflections from day one and discussed what to look forward to. The morning continued with a session on rethinking developer funding and support, facilitated by Kelvin Isievwore. This session explored how developers across the Global South are supported, financially and beyond, through existing funding mechanisms, mentorship, travel opportunities, and access to tools. We brainstormed practical ways to build fairer, more sustainable models that empower developers long‑term. Next came an insightful session on finding your lane and building credibility in open-source, by Edil Medeiros. This conversation encouraged developers to navigate their open‑source development journeys with authenticity, confidence, and resilience. We then had a thought‑provoking panel on AI, facilitated by Kelvin Isievwore and featuring Abubakar Nur Khalil, Raj, Bruno Ely Reis Garcia, Federico Zupicich, and Leonardo L. The panel unpacked how AI is reshaping open‑source contributions, from enhancing reviews and documentation to transforming developer workflows, and discussed both the opportunities and trade‑offs it brings to Bitcoin development. After a productive morning of discussions and learning, we took a break to take group photos and lunch. In the afternoon we moved into the mapping Global South FOSS priorities workshop, facilitated by Abubakar Nur Khalil. Participants worked collaboratively to define shared priorities, align regional outcomes, and begin drafting a collective 2026 roadmap for open‑source growth across the region. We closed the day, and the gathering, with a heart‑to‑heart fireside chat on lessons from the field. This conversation, featuring Kelvin Isievwore, Nymius, Abubakar Sadiq Ismail, Stratosphere and Marcello Pinsdorf, highlighted real‑world experiences, challenges, and lessons from the community, with candid reflections on sustaining motivation, balancing life and contribution, and navigating burnout. With the Gathering coming to a close, participants left inspired and energized, ready to carry the spirit of collaboration, learning, and open‑source excellence into the year ahead.

Day one of the #BtrustGathering began with an engaging opening plenary by Stephanie Titcombe, followed by the state of Btrust address from our CEO, @Abubakar Nur Khalil, who shared a thoughtful year‑in‑review, key milestones from 2025, and the outlook for 2026. The morning continued with the 2025 program reports, where @Btrust Builders, @npub13s0k...5g70, @bitshala, and Libreria de Satoshi presented updates on their work, growth, and the impact they’ve created in supporting open‑source Bitcoin development across the Global South. In the afternoon, participants joined cross‑organization working groups to explore opportunities for collaboration on joint programs, developer connectivity, localization, and technical cooperation. Discussions also covered shared initiatives, developer exchange and communication, grants and sustainability, as well as community growth, storytelling, and brand alignment. These sessions were energetic and idea‑driven, with groups sharing thoughtful outputs that reflected the strength of cross‑community collaboration. The day captured the essence of what the gathering stands for; connection, transparency, and collective progress. It was a powerful reminder of how much can be achieved when builders from across the Global South come together to advance open‑source Bitcoin development.

Highlights from day one of the 2025 #BtrustGathering 🎉 Day one of set the tone for the work that's to come in 2026. It was a day focused on sharing progress, celebrating program highlights, and reflecting on our collective impact across the ecosystem.

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:

Btrust Blog

Announcing Q4, 2025 Btrust Developer Grant Recipients

Africa, December 12, 2025 — We’re excited to recognize six outstanding Bitcoin open-source developers awarded Btrust grants, including four sta...

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:

Btrust Blog

Btrust Builders & Chaincode Labs Partner Again for the 2026 BOSS Challenge

Applications are ongoing for the 2026 ₿OSS (Bitcoin Open-Source Software) Challenge, kicking off January 12, 2026.

Apply for the 2026 cohort:

Chaincode Labs

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

Applications for the Btrust Board are ongoing 🚨 We are seeking new board members from the Global South region to join our mission-driven organization and help shape its next chapter. This is a unique opportunity to contribute to Btrust’s vision of strengthening Bitcoin open-source development across the Global South. The incoming members will succeed our inaugural board as part of Btrust’s planned transition process. Following this first three-year term, all future boards will serve two-year terms, with staggered transitions to ensure continuity and stability. If you’re passionate about open-source development, Bitcoin, and community-driven impact, we’d love to hear from you. 🗓 Applications close: 22nd December, 2025 📢 Notifications sent by 26th January, 2026 Learn more and apply here:

Call for Board Members

We’re excited to partner with Chaincode Labs for the 2026 ₿OSS Challenge, through our engineering program, @Btrust Builders.🎉 Learn more about the partnership and program here:

Btrust Blog

Btrust Builders & Chaincode Labs Partner Again for the 2026 BOSS Challenge

Applications are ongoing for the 2026 ₿OSS (Bitcoin Open-Source Software) Challenge, kicking off January 12, 2026.

Applications are open until the 31st of this month. Apply to join the cohort here:

Chaincode Labs