Good morning! AI for Individuals Rights newsletter #24 is out. In Vietnam, the Communist Party is expanding AI-powered censorship and surveillance, including plans to turn a digital identity app used by over 67 million citizens into an “AI-powered surveillance super-app.” This week, NPR’s All Things Considered featured HRF’s AI Hack for Freedom III and highlighted some of the tools human rights defenders built to advance their movements. In China Journal of Democracy, HRF’s Alex Gladstein explores how AI agents and private AI can amplify the work of Chinese dissidents and the irony of Chinese AI models empowering those challenging the regime. View article →

This week in financial freedom: Sudan's pound hits a record low of 10,000 per dollar, Iran admits to slowing the internet on purpose, and Russia's digital ruble goes national as Bitcoin access narrows. In #Bitcoin news, software developers have combined Payjoin with CISA to create PISA, a working integration of two technologies that together would make private payments cheaper. The latest in the Financial Freedom Report: financialfreedomreport.org View article →

Good afternoon! AI for Individual Rights Newsletter #23 is out. This week, we look into how Uganda’s regime, led by dictator Yoweri Museveni for over four decades, is now using foreign surveillance technology to expand its repression. Meanwhile, US tech giant Meta has released what it calls the “most capable” American open-weight model yet. We close with a fireside chat with HRF’s Alex Gladstein at Bitcoin Policy Institute’s Freedom Tech DC last month, where he discussed the rapid evolution of AI, its potential to empower activists, and HRF’s work to put cutting-edge tools in their hands. View article →

Good morning, nostr! Financial Freedom Report #143 is here and covers Russia's plan to ban peer-to-peer bitcoin trades between individuals beginning in July 2027. In #Bitcoin news, Exonumia has released a human-reviewed 359-term Bitcoin Glossary that will help in the development of localized freedom tech tools. We include an essay from the Journal of Democracy, in which economist Rabah Arezki argues that digital finance could prove to be a more durable “liberation technology” than social media and the internet did against the modern state. We then consider what that argument means when applied to Bitcoin. View article →

Good morning! Financial Freedom Report #142 is here, covering an overnight currency devaluation in Iraq, where the regime cut the value of the dinar by 14.5%. In #Bitcoin news, we break down the Ledger hardware wallet exploit and what it means for users relying on hardware devices to secure their funds. We also feature three perspectives on financial freedom from members of HRF’s Freedom Tech team, who joined Bitcoin Magazine TV to discuss Bitcoin’s role in advancing human freedom. View article →

Good morning, everyone! AI for Individual RIghts newsletter #21 is out. El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele is rolling out AI-powered public services that could improve his image and expand his access to citizens' personal data, even as democratic checks on his power erode. On the other hand, Mistral, Europe's largest AI lab, has launched its most capable model yet, Mistral Large 4, nicknamed "Le Chonk." The company says it plans to release the model's weights soon and that, once it does, Le Chonk will be the best-performing open-weight model built in the United States or Europe. We close with a recap video from our recent AI Hack for Freedom III, where 10 activists used AI to build tools addressing the biggest challenges they face. View article →

Good morning, everyone! AI for Individual Rights newsletter #20 is out. We discuss how Xi Jinping’s visit to the US reflects the Chinese regime’s influence over the future of AI and how this risks sidelining discussions of China’s AI-powered repression. On the other hand, Afghan tech entrepreneur Roya Mahboob is using AI to bring education to girls who are otherwise barred from it due to repressive Taliban decrees. We close with a segment from NPR’s Weekend Edition that mentions HRF’s recent AI Hack for Freedom III as an example of how AI can be used for good. View article →

The Human Rights Foundation just published “Bitcoin for Nonprofits: A Guide To Help Your Movement Achieve Financial Freedom.” This is a practical guide for civil society organizations to accept and manage Bitcoin donations. It covers key tools, privacy best practices, real-world case studies from activists already using it, and common misconceptions. If you work with or support nonprofits, please help share this guide. The more organizations that can receive sats, the harder they will be for dictators to shut down. Read or download the PDF:

Human Rights Foundation

Bitcoin for Nonprofits: A Guide To Help Your Movement Achieve Financial Freedom

Introduction How Bitcoin Helps Bitcoin Basics Using Bitcoin In Practice Case Studies Risks and Challenges The Road Ahead Every year, more authorita...

Good morning, friends! Financial Freedom Report #121 is here! In El Salvador, officials froze the assets of two members of El Faro, one of the country’s leading independent media organizations, a textbook case of financial repression to silence independent journalism. In freedom tech news, we cover the launch of Maple AI's new private Personal Intelligence Platform that expands Maple from a private AI chatbot into a suite of encrypted AI tools. We include an interview with Afghan activist and tech entrepreneur Roya Mahboob, who explains why Bitcoin is perceived radically differently in places like Kabul or Tehran than it is in New York or London. View article →

Good afternoon, friends! This month’s AI for Individual Rights Newsletter #7 is out. We cover Russia’s push into AI-enhanced internet filtering, Chinese AI models parroting CCP propaganda, and an AI-powered hacking campaign targeting Iranians who documented the regime’s killing of protesters. On the tools side, we explore how the explosion of AI agents like OpenClaw and developments in new agentic models are refining workflows and accelerating software development. We also feature the latest episode of Preston Pysh’s Infinite Tech podcast where HRF’s Alex Gladstein and Justin Moon discuss how open-source AI tools like OpenClaw advance individual freedom. View article →

Good afternoon, readers! Financial Freedom Report #109 was just published. It features pressing developments, including India advancing a CBDC pilot to distribute food rations. This comes in addition to coverage on Hong Kong sentencing media tycoon Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison, and a crackdown on informal currency exchange activity by the military junta in Burma. In #Bitcoin news, we cover the addition of Silent Payment support, a bitcoin privacy upgrade, in Sparrow and Nunchuck wallet. We include an interview with Iranian Bitcoin educator, Ziya Sadr, who shares his experience during Iran’s 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom movement and the broader impact of currency collapse and state financial repression. View article →

HRF and the Finney Family award the Finney Freedom Prize for the 2016–2020 era (Block Height 420,000 - 630,00) to Andreas M. Antonopoulos. For years, Andreas helped the world understand Bitcoin as a tool for individual freedom. Through his writing, talks, and inspirational education, he brought millions of people into the Bitcoin network, inspired a generation of developers, and showed how decentralized money can defend human rights and challenge authoritarian power. Learn more about Andreas' contributions here:

Human Rights Foundation

About Andreas Antonopoulos

About Andreas Antonopoulos Antonopoulos was selected out of a shortlist nominated by the Prize Committee that also included Saifedean Ammous, Matt ...

Good morning, friends! This week's Financial Freedom Report #102 is out and features the following in global news: -Venezuela | María Corina Machado Awarded Nobel Peace Prize -Russia | Increased Cash Use Amid Internet Outages and Financial Controls -Cuba | Former Economy Minister Sentenced to Life in Espionage Case In #Bitcoin and Freedom Tech News: -Save the Children | Bitcoin Fund Launched -MetaMask | Bitcoin Support Added -PlebQR | Pay in Bitcoin in Thailand We end with the livestreams of the 2025 Africa Bitcoin Conference! View article →

Good morning, readers! This week's Financial Freedom Report #96 is published and features the following global strories: -Cuba | Independent Media Outlet Blamed for Inflation -Indonesia | Central Bank Expands Oversight with New CBDC-Linked Stablecoin -Tanzania | Internet Blackout and Curfew Follow Unfree and Unfair Elections In #Bitcoin and Freedom Tech News: -Phoenix | Phoenix Wallet Launches Taproot Channels and Multi-Wallet Support -Bitkey | Introduces Chain Code Delegation for Enhanced Privacy -Cashu | Update Adds Mint Discovery and Web-of-Trust Ratings We end with a new episode of the “What Bitcoin Did” podcast, where HRF’s Chief Strategy Officer Alex Gladstein explains how Bitcoin protects civil society from dictators who devalue currencies, freeze bank accounts, monitor financial activity, and employ myriad other forms of financial repression. View article →

Good morning, friends! This week's Financial Freedom Report #89 is now on nostr and features the following in global news: -Russia | Pushes New State-Controlled Message App to Public -Indonesia | Police Violently Suppress Student-Led Protests -Nicaragua | Ortega-Murillo Regime Land Grab In #Bitcoin and Freedom Tech News: -NIP-EE | Merged into Nostr Protocol -Macadamia Wallet | First Ecash Wallet to Implement Multi-Nut Payments -Bitchat | Adds Built-in Tor Support on Android We end with a vibe coding tutorial by HRF’s Justin Moon, Alex Gladstein, and Jhanisse Vaca Daza. In it, they teach activists and dissidents how to vibe code a simple website. View article →

Good morning, friends! This week's Financial Freedom Report #84 is now on nostr and features the following in global news: -El Salvador | Congress Approves Unlimited Presidential Reelections -North Korea | Regime Shutters Currency Exchange Centers Amid Currency Crash -Burma | Invasive Cybersecurity Law Comes into Full Effect In #Bitcoin and Freedom Tech News: -PPQ AI | Bitcoin-Powered AI Access -Bitle | Run Your Own Bitchat Node -Fedimint | Releases ‘Fedimint-in-a-Box’ Plus, we end with a new study from the Bitcoin Policy Institute, authored by HRF Global Bitcoin Adoption Fellow Win Ko Ko Aung, that explores how individuals across Burma, Thailand, and Laos use Bitcoin to navigate financial repression, authoritarian control, and banking exclusion. View article →

Good morning, friends! This week's Financial Freedom Report #81 is now published on nostr and features the following in global news: -Venezuela | Bolívar Depreciating by 13% a Month -Kenya | ‘Shoot in the Leg’ Order Amid Protests -Russia | Delays Launch of Digital Ruble CBDC In #Bitcoin and Freedom Tech News: -White Noise | New Encrypted Messaging App Built on Nostr -Cornell Bitcoin Club | Global Bitcoin Adoption Index -Fernweh | Offline Messaging via Bluetooth Plus, we end with the latest installment of the HRF x Pubkey Freedom Tech series, where HRF’s bitcoin development lead, Alex Li, sits down with Soapbox CEO Alex Gleason to discuss the current state and future of decentralized social protocols. View article →

Good morning, friends! This week's Financial Freedom Report #78 is now on nostr and features the following global updates: -Iran | Largest Digital Asset Exchange Hacked -India | Thousands Report Frozen Bank Accounts as Officials Crack Down on Cybercrime -Venezuela | Gold Grams Against Hyperinflation In #Bitcoin and Freedom Tech News: -Blitz Wallet | Introduces LNURL Addresses and Self-Custodial Zaps -Ashigaru | Releases Zerolink CoinJoin Coordinator -Sorted Wallet | Implements Breez SDK for Bitcoin Lightning Payments Plus, we end with a debate on What Bitcoin Did, where HRF Chief Strategy Officer Alex Gladstein and LayerTwo Labs CEO Paul Sztorc tackle a critical question: is Bitcoin scaling properly? View article →

Good morning, friends! This week's Financial Freedom Report #77 is now live on nostr and features the following in global news: -El Salvador | Approves Foreign Agents Law -Cuba | University Students Protest Internet Rate Hike -Iran | Currency Plunges Amid Financial Restrictions In #Bitcoin and Freedom Tech News: -SeedSigner | Introduces Right-to-Left Language Support -P2P BAND | Global Peer-to-Peer Bitcoin Aggregator -Cove Wallet | Releases on App Store with Coin Control Plus, we end featuring a new joint publication between HRF and The Signal, which explores the global battle over money and assets between dictators and dissidents. View article →

Good morning, friends! After a short break, HRF's weekly Financial Freedom Report is back! Weve got a lot of ground to cover, starting with the following in global news: -Kenya | Criminal Prosecution of Software Developer -Venezuela | National Police Raid Home of El Dorado Founder -Tanzania | Blocks Access to X and Telegram Amid Financial, Political, and Media Repression In #Bitcoin and Freedom Tech News: -Breez | Adds BOLT 12 and BIP 353 Support to Nodeless SDK -BTCNutServer | Accept Ecash Payments with BTCPay Server -Chorus.Community | New Social App for Activists Plus, we end featuring an interview with exiled Hong Kong activist Nathan Law, who turned to Bitcoin to stay active in his push for freedom and democracy in the wake of China’s authoritarian crackdown. View article →