The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) today announced its latest round of Bitcoin Development Fund grants, according to a press release sent to Bitcoin Magazine.
The $500,000 is being awarded across 14 different projects around the world focused on global education, accelerator network development, decentralized communications, and providing nonprofits and human rights groups with an easier path to “financial freedom tools,” according to the release. The main focus areas of these scholarships are Latin America, Asia, and Africa.
The announcement comes just a few months after their latest round of grants in December, where they also donated $500,000 to global Bitcoin projects. While the Human Rights Fund did not disclose exactly how much money each project receives, the following 14 projects are the beneficiaries of today's round of grants worth a total of $500,000:
US dollar e-cash for bitcoin Kali, a USD-based Chaumian electronic cash system built on the Cashu protocol. This system aims to enable private, stable and affordable use of USD-denominated balances, all of which are interoperable with the broader Bitcoin Lightning network. USD E-Cash is positioned as an alternative to major stablecoins, as it has no connection to the traditional banking system. The basic idea is that activists anywhere can exchange their bitcoins for dollar-denominated electronic money that protects privacy, trading off custody. The funding will support the full development of this project.
BTCPay Server is a free, open source, self-hosted payment solution that enables individuals and businesses to accept Bitcoin payments. BTCPay provides a platform for merchants in difficult political and economic climates to process global payments, manage crowdfunding campaigns, and provides developers with opportunities to start their projects using Bitcoin. BTCPay Server funding will support UI/UX improvements, feature enhancements, contributor rewards, and training programs.
BOB Builders Residency, a personal residency program for Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) developers based in Thailand. The new group of developers will focus on “tools to advance the decentralization of Bitcoin,” to combat centralized forces in the software ecosystem. The previous group, also supported by the Human Rights Foundation, focused on privacy. The funds will be used to support residents of this second group, covering living and travel expenses.
Yibaochina.com 议报中文, a popular news platform led by China's citizen power initiatives, serves overseas Chinese scholars, intellectuals, and writers. Dedicated to promoting democracy, human rights, and the rule of law in the Chinese-speaking community globally, Yibao has gained a large readership, especially in pro-democracy communities within China. The HRF grant will support the wages of the site's writers, editors, and translators, as well as social media promotion efforts, as they translate Bitcoin educational materials and news into Chinese for widespread distribution in the world's largest dictatorship.
Bitcoin Innovation Hub, a physical space and community hub that promotes social and economic transformation for refugees, asylum seekers and other vulnerable communities led by Noble Nyangoma in Kampala, Uganda. The center offers a range of vocational and financial literacy training to women and men in various fields, where they learn how to use and how to earn Bitcoin, regardless of the type of identity they hold. The funding will support the addition of vocational classes (such as digital skills, carpentry, and baking) for thousands of students in the East African region, enabling stateless communities to earn Bitcoin for their work.
BITCOIN DADA, is a non-profit initiative founded by a Kenyan businessman Lauren MarcelIt aims to empower African women through financial education. BITCOIN DADA provides a safe space for women to learn about Bitcoin as a tool for financial freedom and build their skill set. The funds will support expansion across Africa, create multilingual educational resources, and encourage women-led businesses that embrace Bitcoin. Grants in this round to Bitcoin DADA and the Bitcoin Innovation Hub are generously supported by the non-profit Strike Initiative.
The Bitcoin Design Foundation, which supports the Bitcoin design community, is dedicated to providing design infrastructure and resources for Bitcoin designers and developers, including those who build for people living under authoritarian regimes and in developing economies. The funding will support the development of the Bitcoin UI Kit (a resource that helps people learn, design, prototype, and build full Bitcoin applications) as well as adding new and emerging privacy and self-sovereignty technologies into the Bitcoin design manual. . Improving the user experience of Bitcoin wallets remains one of its most important goals.
Bitcoin Op-Tech, a Bitcoin technology newsletter known for its industry-leading resources, techniques, and technologies designed specifically for Bitcoin developers, businesses, and institutions. The newsletter regularly covers issues of privacy, resistance to censorship and decentralization that are core to the human rights organization's mission. Additionally, Bitcoin Op-Tech offers workshops, documentation, original research, and case studies. The funds will be allocated to cover operational expenses and growth strategies.
Damus Android, a communications application that uses the nostr protocol. Developed by Will CassarinDamus ensures freedom of expression online – crucial for people living in difficult political environments without being censored – and enables users to receive Bitcoin through the “go” function. The funding will be used to develop the Damus app for Android devices, helping to onboard millions of new users in authoritarian countries and the developing world.
Bitcoin Core developer Pablo Martin, whose initial work addressed a security vulnerability that caused a Bitcoin node to crash and shut down. Martin continues to contribute, review, and provide suggestions for Bitcoin development, including the http-rest interface, bitcoin-cli, p2p, rpc, and wallet within the Bitcoin repository, while also contributing to the Bitcoin Core GUI repositories. The funds will support his ongoing contributions to Bitcoin's development, the likes of which are essential to keeping Bitcoin a safe tool for activists everywhere.
LNbits, a multi-user, multi-account system for the Lightning Network, allows users to create separate Lightning wallets for friends and family. Built by a software developer Ben ArcLNbits aims to decentralize custody and provide users with a powerful set of Bitcoin tools that they can run for themselves, others, or as part of a bundle. The funding will support TC salaries, bonuses, and educational outreach efforts through workshops and video classes.
Bitcoin Policy Summit 2024, a one-day conference that brings together policymakers, academics and industry leaders to explore the opportunities and challenges of Bitcoin. The event aims to reshape the narrative surrounding Bitcoin, advocate for its benefits in liberal democracies, and highlight its potential to undermine closed societies. Funding will support event logistics, speaker travel, and attendance by human rights defenders.
Bitcoin for Billions, a series of informational videos created by a Bitcoin guru, Paco de la India. The videos, initially available in four regional languages - Hindi, Bengali, Marathi and Gujarati – aim to reach a wide audience among the 750 million people in India who speak these languages. Topics include the concept of Bitcoin as freedom money and practical guidance on buying and holding Bitcoin securely, elements of increasing importance in a regime that continues to move toward more authoritarianism. The grant will be used for research, content creation, translation and promotion of the videos.
The Numerical School, which he founded Luciana Ferreira, a Bitcoin and Lightning development program based in Brazil dedicated to training early-stage Bitcoin developers. The school provides students with a comprehensive understanding of Bitcoin development, philosophy, and community engagement, preparing them for future opportunities in prestigious programs such as Chaincode Labs. The grant will cover teachers' salaries, training workshops, and university outreach and will give a boost to developers living in South America.
More about the Human Rights Fund
The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) is a nonpartisan, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that works to promote and protect human rights globally, with a focus on closed societies. The HRF continues to raise support for the Bitcoin Development Fund, and support requests can be submitted here.
