The Human Rights Foundation Supports Bitcoin Development for Global Education and More

The granted funds will be used by recipients to focus on advancing global education on Bitcoin, developing Bitcoin Core, decentralizing mining, and other related initiatives.

Human Rights Foundation Grants $500,000 to 18 Bitcoin Projects globally.

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The Human Rights Foundation (HRF), a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that promotes and protects human rights globally, recently announced its latest round of grants from the Bitcoin Development Fund. The grants, totaling $500,000, will be awarded to 18 projects focused on various aspects of the Bitcoin ecosystem. These projects include global education initiatives, Bitcoin Core development, decentralized mining, and support for developers in closed societies.

This round of grants comes just a few months after the HRF’s previous round in September, where $500,000 was donated to Bitcoin projects worldwide. The HRF has chosen the following 18 projects to receive funding, although the exact amount allocated to each project has not been disclosed.

Empowering Developers in Authoritarian Regimes: Mostro

One of the grant recipients is Mostro, a decentralized, peer-to-peer Bitcoin exchange built on top of Nostr, developed by Francisco Calderón from Venezuela. Mostro aims to establish an open protocol and provide specialized services for developers in authoritarian regimes. With the funding, Mostro will continue its efforts to help users in restrictive financial environments buy and sell Bitcoin in a censorship-resistant manner[^1^].

Bitcoin Education in Central America: Mi Primer Bitcoin

Mi Primer Bitcoin, a nonprofit organization providing open-source Bitcoin education in Central America, is another recipient. The Bitcoin Diploma offered by Mi Primer Bitcoin is already being used in countries like El Salvador, South Africa, Portugal, Honduras, Cuba, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Colombia, and Uruguay. The funding from HRF will support the international expansion of Mi Primer Bitcoin’s educational materials, particularly in closed societies[^2^].

Expanding Bitcoin Accessibility for Arabic Speakers: Arabic Hodl

Arabic Hodl is a project aiming to make Bitcoin more accessible to over 400 million Arabic-speaking people worldwide. With the funding received, Arabic Hodl will develop how-to guides, privacy and self-custody tutorials, educational podcasts, and foundational books on Bitcoin principles in Arabic. This initiative will also focus on best practices and helping beginners get started with using and contributing to the Bitcoin network[^3^].

Monitoring Internet Restrictions: Netblocks

Netblocks, a leading organization that monitors and reports internet restrictions and shutdowns globally, is another grant recipient. Netblocks plays a crucial role in tracking the impact of internet shutdowns on human rights activists, journalists, and the general public’s right to freedom of expression. The funding from HRF will support Netblocks’ efforts to cover emerging threats to internet connectivity, especially those affecting the Bitcoin network[^4^].

Enhancing Bitcoin’s Censorship Resistance: Lorban and Stratum V2

The development of Stratum V2, an upgraded protocol for communication between Bitcoin miners and pools, is being pursued by Lorban, who is receiving funding from HRF. Stratum V2 allows mining pool users to select transactions for proposed blocks, reducing the power pools have over the Bitcoin network. Lorban will use the grant to improve the Stratum V2 Reference Implementation and its testing tool, the Message Generator[^5^].

Bitcoin Core App Development: John Carlson

John Carlson is being recognized for his ongoing contributions to updating and improving the Bitcoin Core App project. The project aims to enable users to run Bitcoin on their phones, lowering technical barriers and making self-custody and self-verification of Bitcoin transactions more accessible. The funding received will also support efforts to broaden compatibility with Android phones and tablets[^6^].

Spreading Bitcoin Education in Latin America: Area Bitcoin

Area Bitcoin, a prominent Bitcoin educational resource headquartered in Brazil, offers free educational content primarily in Portuguese and serves over 300,000 followers. HRF funding will enable Area Bitcoin to expand its content across multiple languages, developing and translating videos and articles into Spanish and English. This expansion will allow Area Bitcoin to reach a wider audience in Latin America[^7^].

Bitcoin Education for Human Rights Defenders: Berta Valle

Berta Valle is receiving funding for her Bitcoin educational work in Nicaragua, with a special focus on the human rights defender community. The grant will support the establishment of an interactive online Bitcoin training program for Nicaraguan dissidents and civil society leaders, helping them become more resilient in their efforts to resist the Ortega regime[^8^].

Guiding Indian Developers: Bitshala

Bitshala, an education initiative led by Indian Bitcoiners, provides guidance and resources to developers entering the Bitcoin space. With the funding received, Bitshala will curate a repository of tutorials and technical presentations, organize study groups, facilitate PR reviews, and nurture a vibrant Bitcoin community in India[^9^].

Building a Cypherpunk Hackerspace: Hack.BS

Hack.BS, a nonprofit association based in Italy, aims to open a cypherpunk hackerspace that serves as a collaborative coworking center during the day and a dynamic events space hosting meetups, workshops, and hackathons at night. The funding received will also support internationalization efforts and bringing global expertise in the areas of financial freedom and privacy[^10^].

Expanding the Bitcoin Community in Sri Lanka: Bitcoin Deepa

Bitcoin Deepa, also known as the Pearl of Satoshi, will use the funding to expand the Sri Lankan Bitcoin community. The grant will support monthly Bitcoin meetups in cities like Colombo, Galle, Kandy, and Ella, assist local merchants in adopting self-custodial Bitcoin acceptance methods, introduce BoltCard-based Lightning solutions, and enhance education through translations. Additionally, a Sinhalese-language podcast called “Bitcoin Katha” will be launched[^11^].

Translating Bitcoin Education in African Languages: Exonumia

Exonumia, a nonprofit organization, focuses on translating Bitcoin educational content into native African languages such as Shona, Malagasy, Amharic, Kiswahili, and Lingala. The funding will be used to translate additional content, raise awareness of Bitcoin, and foster financial-freedom-oriented communities[^12^].

Privacy Guide for Activists: L0la L33tz

L0la L33tz is being recognized for her efforts in creating a Bitcoin privacy guide, specifically targeting activists, dissidents, and NGOs operating in hostile environments. The guide will help newcomers learn about privacy risks, assess personal threat vectors, and learn privacy-preserving techniques to make informed decisions surrounding privacy and Bitcoin technology[^13^].

Bitcoin Education for Refugees: Groundswell

Groundswell, a project founded by Hadiya Masieh, supports free Bitcoin education for diaspora and exile communities in the United Kingdom, particularly refugees from the Middle East. The funding will be used to host workshops, create training materials, assist refugees in setting up wallets and receiving their first satoshis, and educate them on how to send Bitcoin to their families back home[^14^].

Enhancing Bitcoin’s Censorship Resistance: Kulpreet Singh and Braidpool

Kulpreet Singh is being recognized for his work on Braidpool, a proposed peer-to-peer mining pool designed to enhance Bitcoin’s censorship resistance. Braidpool empowers miners to build their blocks, reducing the influence of pool operators in delaying or preventing payouts. The grant will enable Kulpreet to continue developing Braidpool and further decentralize the Bitcoin network[^15^].

DIY Bitcoin Signing Device: SeedSigner

SeedSigner, a do-it-yourself Bitcoin signing device accessible to anyone, anywhere, will receive funding to facilitate the final stages of MicroPython research and development. The goal is to eliminate Raspberry Pi dependencies and enable operations on affordable microcontrollers, making Bitcoin self-custody even more accessible for the masses[^16^].

Developer-Focused Bitcoin Conference: bitcoin++

bitcoin++ is a conference series focused on Bitcoin technology, providing developers with in-depth lectures and workshops. The funding will cover the educational efforts, general conference expenses, and travel expenses for developers from authoritarian countries[^17^].

Bitcoin Conference for Human Rights Advocates: Bitcoin Atlantis

Bitcoin Atlantis, a Bitcoin conference taking place in Madeira, Portugal from March 1 to 3, 2022, will receive HRF funding to support human rights defenders, civil society leaders, and educators from dictatorships in attending the event. This conference presents an opportunity for these individuals to share their experiences, establish new contacts, and gain valuable resources[^18^].

Conclusion: Empowering Bitcoin for Global Good

The Human Rights Foundation’s Bitcoin Development Fund grants demonstrate a commitment to supporting projects that enhance Bitcoin’s potential for education, privacy, decentralization, and censorship resistance. By empowering developers in closed societies and promoting widespread Bitcoin adoption, these initiatives contribute to the advancement of financial freedom and human rights worldwide.

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