Today, the Human Rights Foundation (HRF) announced its most recent round of <a target="_blank" href="https://hrf.org/program/financial-freedom/bitcoin-development-fund/”>bitcoin development fund grants, in a press release sent to bitcoin Magazine.
700,000,000 satoshis (7 btc), currently worth $706,000 at the time of writing, are being awarded through 20 different projects around the world that focus on technical education for people living under regimes. authoritarians, independent media, decentralization of mining and providing more information to human rights groups. Private financial solutions, with primary focus areas for these grants centered on countries and regions in Latin America, Asia and Africa.
While the <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/HRF”>HRF He did not reveal how much money each project receives specifically, the following 20 projects are the recipients of today's round of grants worth 7 btc:
Stratum V2 Reference Implementation (SRI), an open source software that decentralizes bitcoin mining by allowing nodes to build their own block templates. This helps promote solo mining, reduces dependence on large mining pools, and strengthens the permissionless and censorship-resistant qualities of bitcoin. The funding will support developer bit-aloo's full-time work at SRI, including benchmarking tools to evaluate Stratum V2 performance, integration testing, codebase maintenance, and software documentation.
Public swimming poola free and open source mining pool optimized for low hash rate devices (a mining device with limited computational power). Users can self-host a Stratum server and select their own block templates without relying on a third party. By making bitcoin mining more accessible and decentralized, Public Pool strengthens the bitcoin network. The funding will cover hosting costs, hardware upgrades and operating expenses.
<a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/ANaiyoma”>naiyamaAfrica's first female bitcoin Core developer. Originally from Kenya, she is dedicated to promoting an open financial system based on transparency, freedom and justice. Their work focuses on reviewing pull requests (PRs), addressing bugs through new PRs, and improving the bitcoin Core codebase. The funds will support your full-time contributions to advancing bitcoin Core.
Daniela Brozzonian experienced software developer. Previously, he contributed to the bitcoin Development Kit (BDK), a software library that allows creating cross-platform bitcoin wallets. You are now shifting your focus to bitcoin Core, where your job will be to review key pull requests (PRs), contribute to new features, and improve test coverage. Through her efforts, Daniela aims to improve the decentralization, privacy, and resilience of bitcoin. This grant will support your full-time contributions to bitcoin Core.
<a target="_blank" href="https://github.com/bitcoin-core/gui-qml”>UX/UI Design for bitcoin Coreredesign work carried out by the product designer. Michael Haase which aims to bring the bitcoin Core app to mobile devices (making it accessible beyond desktop use). This update will allow users to run nodes, access essential wallet features (such as silent payments and multi-signature) right on their phones, and improve their financial privacy. The funding will support the design and development of the project.
There is no nonsense in bitcoina news desk that offers the latest bitcoin news and updates on open source technologies in a clear and accessible format. Free of ads, tracking, and paywalls, the platform consistently highlights essential privacy and freedom technologies for activists and citizens under authoritarian regimes. The funding will ensure the continued operation of the site, allow for the hiring of an additional editor, and support the introduction of Nostr features (such as Zaps and comments) to encourage greater community engagement.
tandoa new payment app co-founded by Sabina Gitau, allowing 54 million Kenyans to have the option of using bitcoin for daily transactions. By integrating with M-PESA, Kenya's leading mobile payments system, Tando allows users to pay in bitcoin through a Lightning wallet, while merchants receive Kenyan shillings. The platform has no KYC or fees, offering an affordable and private payment solution. The funds will help boost Tando's liquidity, support a growing user base and drive expansion across the African continent.
Yaki Honnea client for the Nostr decentralized protocol created by a team in East and Southeast Asia. It was developed by Wendy Ding to support freedom of expression and promote bitcoin payments in 170 countries. With innovative functionality and a mix of online and offline events, YakiHonne seeks to drive the adoption of decentralized social networks. The funding will support the development of smart widgets, relay network improvements, and influencer engagement to expand Nostr's reach and impact.
seed signer Multilingual Support, a translation project by developer Ace to integrate multilingual functionality into the open source and fully customizable SeedSigner hardware wallet. This will improve accessibility for users around the world and empower marginalized communities to achieve financial sovereignty through affordable and accessible self-custody. The funding will support the developer's efforts to deliver a multilingual version of SeedSigner over the next year.
Vexa peer-to-peer bitcoin trading app founded by Lea Petrasova to provide users with a private and free Know Your Customer (KYC) bitcoin experience. By connecting users through their phone contacts, Vexl enables secure and direct peer-to-peer bitcoin transactions. The app aims to make private use of bitcoin more accessible while also offering critical protection against authoritarian regimes. The funding will support Vexl's growth, focusing on reaching African communities and driving improvements to its backend infrastructure.
Tomatech, a community focused on creating a team of developers in India to advance bitcoin infrastructure and free and open source software (FOSS) projects. By offering mentoring and training, you bridge the gap between education and practical experience. Additionally, its Goa-based cultural center and community space will foster a vibrant bitcoin community through meetups, workshops, and residencies. The funding will support developer training, the creation of a developer center, rewards and grants, and general operations.
Cruxopen source software that turns generic devices into hardware wallets for secure bitcoin transactions and self-custody. It features isolated operations, key management and backups, an intuitive interface, and support for 10 languages. This project can help decentralize custody of bitcoin and safeguard freedom and property rights in authoritarian regimes. The funding will help developer Odudex continue to advance this innovative open source project.
Irisa Nostr web client created by developer Martti Malmi and designed to make private and secure messaging easier and more secure. Using the MIT-licensed nostr-double ratchet library, it aims to improve the protection of metadata and message content, ensuring that conversations remain private, especially in surveillance environments. The funding will support the hiring of a developer to expand the features and functionality of Iris.
African UX bitcoin Bootcampa program that gives talented bitcoin UX designers from authoritarian countries the opportunity to attend the African bitcoin Conference (ABC) for hands-on training and networking. Directed by bitcoin Design FoundationCo-founder of Mogashni Naidoo, participants will receive on-the-ground training and test the usability of their products at ABC. The funds will cover program expenses, including flights, accommodation and logistics, ensuring accessibility for all participants.
bitcoin Historya Pete Rizzo research project dedicated to documenting and preserving key people, events, and materials (i.e. photographs, videos, links, information) that shaped the rise of bitcoin as a global monetary and human rights force. Focused on “the story of the future of money,” the project highlights bitcoin's role as a tool for financial freedom. The grant will support an additional researcher to investigate and document stories about the use of bitcoin against authoritarian regimes.
Cashu-tsthe main software development kit (SDK) in the Cashu ecosystem developed by Gandlaf21. It simplifies wallet creation, integrates the latest protocol updates, and powers popular wallets (such as Minibits, eNuts, and Nutstash). By enabling the development of secure, privacy-focused “digital cash” wallets, Cashu-ts plays a vital role in advancing the Cashu ecosystem and financial privacy. This grant will help developers maintain and improve this essential library.
Unifya Payjoin wallet developed by Fontaine to improve privacy in bitcoin transactions. Built with Nostr and bitcoin Core, it leverages Payjoins to hide transaction histories by allowing multiple parties to make collaborative payments (making bitcoin inherently more private). This functionality is especially crucial for people navigating repressive regimes. The funding will support the developer's full-time contributions, improving Unify's features and expanding its compatibility with other wallets.
The Financial Freedom Political Coalition, a political coalition founded by Venezuelan activist, <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/JraissatiJorge”>Jorge JraissatiIt brings together young leaders, policymakers and industry experts to promote economic opportunities for people living under authoritarian regimes. The coalition plans advocacy missions to educate policymakers on how bitcoin can support human rights and generate social benefits. The funds will cover the costs of organizing and executing these missions.
Jon Attackbitcoin Core contributor and bitcoin Improvement Proposal (BIP) editor, recognized as one of the all-time leading contributors to bitcoin Core. As a dedicated developer, he plays a critical role in improving the decentralization and robustness of bitcoin. Atack is also a strong advocate for using bitcoin and open source software as tools to resist tyranny and promote global human rights. This grant will allow him to continue his vital contributions to the development of bitcoin.
Edgean organization committed to strengthening the bitcoin protocol through research and development. Co-founded by <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/bitschmidty”>Michael SchmidtBrink supports bitcoin protocol engineers with grants and offers training and mentoring to onboard new contributors to open source development. This grant will cover operating expenses, ensuring continued support for open source developers and the advancement of bitcoin's core infrastructure.
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 interested donors can find more information on how to donate here. HRF grant applications can be submitted here.
