Today the Human Rights Foundation (HRF) announced its most recent round of bitcoin development fund grants, according to a press release sent to bitcoin Magazine.
$500,000 will be awarded to 14 different projects around the world that focus on global education, Lightning Network development, decentralized communications, and providing nonprofits and human rights groups with a further avenue to access easy access to “financial freedom tools,” according to the statement. The main focus areas of these grants are centered on Latin America, Asia and Africa.
This announcement comes just a few months after their last grant round in December, in which they also donated $500,000 to bitcoin projects around the world. While HRF did not disclose exactly how much money each project is receiving, the following 14 projects are the recipients of today's round of grants worth $500,000 in total:
USD e-cash for bitcoin for streeta dollar-based Chaumian electronic cash system built on the basis of Cashew protocol. This system aims to enable private, affordable and stable use of dollar-denominated credits, all 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 central idea is that activists anywhere can exchange their bitcoins for dollar-denominated E-Cash, which protects privacy, with the trade-off of being guarded. The funding will support the full development of this project.
BTCPay Server, a free, open source, self-hosted payment solution that allows 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 offer developers opportunities to advance their bitcoin projects. Funding for BTCPay Server will support UI/UX improvements, feature enhancements, contributor rewards, and training programs.
BOB Builders Residency Program, an in-person residency for free and open source software (FOSS) developers located in Thailand. The new group of developers will focus on “Tools to Strengthen bitcoin Decentralization” to combat centralizing forces in the software ecosystem. The previous cohort, also supported by HRF, focused on privacy. The funds will be used to support the residents of this second cohort, covering living and travel expenses.
Yibaochina.com Yibao Chinese, a popular news platform run by Citizen power initiatives for China, provides services to overseas Chinese scholars, intellectuals and writers. Dedicated to promoting democracy, human rights, and the rule of law in the global Chinese-speaking community, Yibao has gained a significant readership, particularly in pro-democracy communities within China. The HRF grant will support the salaries of the site's writers, editors, and translators, as well as social media promotion efforts, as they translate educational materials and bitcoin news into Chinese for wide circulation in the world's largest dictatorship.
bitcoin Innovation Centera physical space and community center that promotes the socioeconomic transformation of refugees, asylum seekers and other vulnerable communities led by Noble Nyangoma in Kampala, Uganda. The center offers a variety of vocational training and financial education to women and men in various fields, where they learn how to use and earn bitcoin, regardless of the type of identification they have. The funding will support the addition of vocational classes (i.e. digital skills, carpentry and baking) for thousands of students in the East African region, allowing stateless communities to earn bitcoin for their work.
bitcoin DADAa non-profit initiative founded by a Kenyan businessman Lorena Marcelo, 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 develop their skills. The funds will support expansion in Africa, the creation of multilingual educational resources, and promote bitcoin adoption by women-led businesses. This round's grants to bitcoin DADA and bitcoin Innovation Hub are generously supported by the Strike nonprofit initiative.
bitcoin.design/”>The bitcoin Design Foundation, which supports the bitcoin Design Community, is dedicated to providing design infrastructure and resources to 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 complete bitcoin applications), as well as the incorporation of new and emerging techniques for privacy and security. self-sovereignty in the bitcoin Design Guide. . Improving the UX of bitcoin wallets remains one of its main goals.
bitcoin operating technology, a bitcoin technical newsletter recognized for its industry-leading resources, technologies, and techniques designed for bitcoin developers, companies, and organizations. The newsletter regularly covers privacy, censorship resistance, and decentralization issues that are central to HRF's mission. Additionally, bitcoin Op-tech offers workshops, documentation, original research, and case studies. Funds will be allocated to operating expenses and growth strategies.
We give you Android, a communications application that uses the nostr protocol. Developed by Will Casarin, Damus guarantees freedom of expression online (critical for people living in difficult political environments without being censored) and allows users to receive bitcoin through its “zapping” functionality. The funds will be used to develop the Damus app for Android devices, potentially helping to add millions of new users in authoritarian countries and the developing world.
bitcoin Core Developer Pablo Martin, whose initial work addressed a vulnerability that caused a bitcoin node to crash and shut down. Martin continues to contribute, review, and submit proposals to advance bitcoin, 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 the development of bitcoin, which are crucial to keeping bitcoin a safe tool for activists around the world.
LNbits, a multi-user and account system for the Lightning Network, allows users to create separate Lightning wallets for friends and family. Built by software developer Ben ArcoLNbits aims to decentralize custody and provides users with a robust set of bitcoin tools that they can run for themselves, for others, or as part of a stack. Funding will support core contributors' salaries, rewards, and educational outreach efforts through workshops and video tutorials.
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, defend its benefits in liberal democracies, and highlight its potential to undermine closed societies. Funding will support event logistics, speaker travel, and assistance from human rights defenders.
bitcoin for Billions, an informative video series created by a bitcoin educator, Paco de la India. The videos, initially available in four regional languages (Hindi, Bengali, Marathi and Gujarati), aim to have 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 safely purchasing and self-custodying bitcoin, elements that are increasingly important under a regime that continues to become more authoritarian. The grant will be used for research, content creation, translation and promotion of the videos.
Climbing SchoolFounded by Luciana Ferreira, a Brazil-based bitcoin and Lightning development program dedicated to training early-stage bitcoin developers. The school provides students with a comprehensive understanding of bitcoin development, philosophy, and community involvement, preparing them for future opportunities in esteemed programs like Chaincode Labs. The grant will go toward faculty salaries, training workshops, and university outreach and will give a boost to developers living in South America.
More about HRF
The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that promotes and protects human rights globally, with a focus on closed societies. HRF continues to rally support for the bitcoin development fundand support requests can be sent here.
