The ₿trust initiative, dedicated to supporting open-source Bitcoin developers in the Global South, has recently announced the recipients of its Q3 Starter Grants and the newest members of its ₿trust Open-Source Cohort.
The Starter Grants provide full-time funding to Bitcoin software engineers, showcasing ₿trust’s commitment towards broadening the scope of open-source Bitcoin contributors across regions such as Africa, MENA, Southeast Asia, and Latin America.
Each recipient will benefit from six months of support, including a stipend paid in bitcoin, technical guidance, and assistance in developing proposals to join the ₿trust Open-Source Cohort for long-term funding.
Significance of ₿trust Starter Grants
The ₿trust Starter Grants play a crucial role in providing financial stability to talented open-source developers, enabling them to focus on their work without financial constraints. They also offer mentorship and support to help developers establish sustainable careers in the Bitcoin industry.
According to ₿trust Interim CEO Abubakar Nur Khalil, “Through these grants, we are actively decentralizing Bitcoin open-source development by introducing developers from diverse backgrounds to strengthen the Bitcoin network.”
The Starter Grants also serve as a pathway to the ₿trust Open-Source Cohort, providing developers with mentorship, professional development, and extended financial support while contributing to open-source initiatives.
Recipients of Starter Grants
The Q3 2024 Starter Grants have been awarded to:
Enigbe Ochekliye
Ochekliye, with over two years of backend engineering experience, will work on The Lightning Development Kit’s rust-lightning as part of the grant, focusing on improving the onboarding process for new contributors to Bitcoin open source projects.
Tobechi Chukwuleta
Chukwuleta, a veteran backend developer, will continue enhancing BTCPay Server’s store functionality and modularity with the support of his Starter Grant.
Kelvin Isievwore
Isievwore, currently contributing to projects like Polar and LND, will focus on streamlining testing and development processes for Lightning engineers under the Starter Grant.
New Members of the Open-Source Cohort
The new members of the ₿trust Open-Source Cohort include:
Abubakar Sadiq Ismail
Sadiq Ismail, a Nigerian Bitcoin Core contributor, focuses on optimizing the Bitcoin protocol, particularly in areas like fee estimation and transaction analysis.
Duncan Dean
Dean, a Lightning contributor from South Africa, will work on enhancing his contributions to Bitcoin and Lightning projects while in the ₿trust Open-Source Cohort.
Oghenovo Usiwoma
Usiwoma, a Nigerian Bitcoin Core contributor, will continue his work on Silent Payments functionality within the Bitcoin Core software as part of the ₿trust Open-Source Cohort.
How to Apply for a ₿trust Grant
Developers in Africa, the MENA region, Southeast Asia, and Latin America can apply for ₿trust grants to support their contributions to the Bitcoin ecosystem.
Interested developers from other parts of the Global South will also be considered for grants based on their proven track record in the Bitcoin space.
To apply for a ₿trust Starter Grant, visit the official ₿trust link.
