Human Rights Foundation supports 20 projects for freedom

La Human Rights Foundation (HRF) announced a new round of 10 BTC grants to over 20 projects worldwide. This funding aims to support open-source Bitcoin development, decentralized mining, privacy tools, and educational initiatives for people living under authoritarian regimes, particularly in Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

Le Bitcoin Development Fund (BDF) HRF supports individuals and projects that are making Bitcoin and related freedom technologies more powerful tools for human rights defenders. Since its launch in 2020, the BDF has awarded $7,8 million in BTC to 284 projects in 62 countries worldwide.

The next round of grants will be announced at the 17th Annual Forum which will be held from May 26 to 28, 2025 in Oslo, Norway.

Here are the 10 projects that benefited from this aid for this new round of aid in 2025.

NetBlocks : a digital rights watchdog organization that monitors and reports internet shutdowns in real time. Authoritarian regimes often use these shutdowns to suppress protests, stifle dissent, and restrict access to financial tools.

TollGate TollGate: a project developed by the internet service provider that transforms ordinary Wi-Fi routers into decentralized internet service providers using Bitcoin and ecash. With funding from the HRF, TollGate will continue its mission: to build a censorship-resistant internet that allows individuals to communicate freely.

Twenty is a non-profit Bitcoin research and development center based in Brazil and operating in Latin America. It focuses on training and funding developers contributing to the protocol andBitcoin ecosystem.

BTCPayServer is an open-source, self-hosted Bitcoin payment processor that allows individuals and organizations to accept Bitcoin payments without relying on third parties. This is especially crucial in regimes where payment processors are used to silence NGOs and activists. The HRF grant will help expand BTCPay's reach, improve usability, and broaden global access to censorship-resistant payments.

THEAfrica Bitcoin Institute (ABI), supported by the Rwandan activist Anaïse Kanimba, bridges the gap between Bitcoin adoption and policy in Africa. With HRF support, the ABI will promote financial autonomy and solidify Bitcoin's role as a pillar of economic freedom.

Bitcoin Core Graphical User Interface (GUI) – Running a full Bitcoin node is a fundamental part of financial sovereignty, but the technical interface can be a barrier. Bitcoin-core/gui-qml, a project supported by the Go Qu developer, is modernizing the Bitcoin Core interface to make it more intuitive, particularly for mobile users in developing regions. HRF funding will support continued development to lower barriers to entry for node users globally.

Rkrux is a Bitcoin Core contributor specializing in code review, bug testing, and documentation improvements. His contributions help maintain the resilience of Bitcoin. The HRF grant will allow Rkrux to continue his work, ensuring that the Bitcoin network remains robust, secure, and censorship-resistant for users worldwide.

Elsat is a developer contributing to the Nostr ecosystem, including projects like Damus, Nostrability, and Zap.store. These tools offer decentralized messaging, improved app interoperability, and peer-to-peer software monetization. The HRF grant will support continued development aimed at strengthening freedom of expression.

Relay Wizard, Created by developer “J the Code Monkey,” it simplifies the setup of Nostr relays. These relays are essential for decentralized communication over the Nostr protocol. This tool allows non-technical users to operate their own servers, contributing to a more resilient and censorship-resistant communications infrastructure. The HRF grant will support the development and deployment of this tool.

Waye is a support initiative co-founded by Amiti Uttarwar, Bitcoin Core developer, and Anna Sides, Operations Architect. She provides psychosocial support to open source developers developing technologies to ensure freedom. By combating contributor burnout and isolation, Waye strengthens the human foundations of the ecosystem. The HRF funding will allow Waye to expand its reach, particularly to developers in the Global South.

Hashpool is a self-hosted mining pool developed by vnprc that promotes the decentralization of Bitcoin mining. Rather than relying on centralized entities, miners are rewarded with ecash tokens, enabling instant and private payments. Support from the HRF will further the development of Hashpool and foster a more distributed and censorship-resistant mining environment.

Cashu KVAC is a protocol upgrade for Cashu, a chaumian e-cash system that guarantees extremely strict financial privacy. Developed by lollerfirst, this enhancement strengthens privacy.

Research on Self-Custody : In unstable economies and under authoritarian regimes, Bitcoin's self-custody is a financial lifeline: a portable currency that cannot be seized, censored, or devalued. While Bitcoin enables financial freedom, scaling self-custody remains a challenge. Brandon Black (Rearden), a Bitcoin trainer and developer, studies these limitations and explores technical solutions to make self-custody more accessible. His work documents the obstacles users face today and offers insights into how Bitcoin might evolve. With support from HRF, Black will expand self-custody education, equipping people under dictatorship with the knowledge and tools needed to ensure their financial independence.

Stable Channels : For citizens living under authoritarian regimes and struggling economies, Bitcoin is a lifeline, but its volatility can threaten short-term financial security. Stable Channels, created by software engineer Tony Klausing, brings Bitcoin-backed stabilized balances to the Lightning Network (allowing users to peg Bitcoin to fiat currencies in a self-custodial manner). This innovation allows individuals to transact freely, without being exposed to wild price fluctuations or centralized stablecoins. HRF support will contribute to the development of stable channels, cryptocurrency mainstreaming, and community outreach, enabling more people to harness the power of Bitcoin while maintaining their financial stability.
Bitsacco: In Kenya, savings and credit cooperatives offer savings and credit services to their communities. However, their reliance on traditional banks limits their autonomy. Bitsacco, created by the developer okjodom, is reinventing credit by leveraging Bitcoin and Fedimints (a community-based Bitcoin custody model). Bitsacco offers a more open, inclusive, and autonomous financial option. By reducing reliance on banks, Bitsacco empowers communities to manage their savings and loans independently.

The Core In Africa, where financial literacy gaps persist, practical Bitcoin education is critical to adoption. The Core, founded by Kenyan Bitcoin educator Felix Mukungu, is filling this gap by equipping Africans with the knowledge and skills to use Bitcoin with confidence. Through hands-on training on self-custody, Lightning wallets, and Bitcoin nodes, The Core empowers everyone to take control of their money and transact with freedom. This grant will expand The Core's monthly meetups, online courses, and student support programs, enabling more people in Kenya and across the African continent to benefit from Bitcoin education.

Bitcoin Babies : Under many authoritarian regimes, child malnutrition is exacerbated and puts countless children at risk. Bitcoin Babies, founded by Naomi Wambui, is a project that addresses this problem by combining infant nutrition education with Bitcoin-based financial education. Through weekly Bitcoin stipends, financial literacy training, and community support, mothers under authoritarian regimes gain the tools to improve their children's health while ensuring long-term financial stability. With this grant, Bitcoin Babies will expand its impact by helping more vulnerable communities access otherwise inaccessible resources, enabling mothers to build a better future for themselves.

Bitcoin Developer Apprenticeship Program in East Asia: In East Asia, language barriers and a lack of mentorship have made open-source Bitcoin development inaccessible to many. The East Asia Bitcoin Developer Apprenticeship Program, led by Bitcoin developer Calvin Kim, is changing the game by creating a pathway for Korean and Japanese developers. Through hands-on training, mentees gain practical experience, contribute to open source projects, and ultimately become mentors, strengthening the region's developer ecosystem. With this funding, the apprenticeship program will expand, diversify the global Bitcoin developer base, make freedom technologies more accessible in Asia, and build connections with North Korean refugees.

The event TalentLand 2025 in Mexico : In Latin America, excessive government interference threatens financial freedom. At TalentLand 2025, Latin America's largest tech event, Bitcoin Week will showcase how Bitcoin empowers individuals to reclaim their financial sovereignty. Led by developer Super Testnet and the Bitcoin and Lightning Guadalajara community, this initiative is raising awareness among the Mexican tech community about Bitcoin's role in promoting financial sovereignty. Through workshops, hackathons, and debates, it fosters talented developers and mobilizes future tech leaders.

Base58 : Learning the technical aspects of Bitcoin can seem complex. Base58's Live Bitcoin Roleplay (LARP) simplifies the task with a two-hour workshop where participants role-play the Bitcoin network and learn how transactions are made, how they reach miners, how a Bitcoin node works, and how it contributes to network security. Created by Lisa Neigut (niftynei), prolific Bitcoin developer, trainer and founder of Base58 and the bitcoin++ conference, alongside David Rodriguez, this immersive experience makes learning about Bitcoin tangible and entertaining. Now expanding beyond North America, the program will train new facilitators, with a focus on regions where Bitcoin learning is limited due to authoritarian restrictions. With this funding, Base58's live Bitcoin role-playing game will enable more facilitators to teach and learn about Bitcoin in an engaging and accessible way.

BTCenSpanish In Latin America, financial repression and limited access to Bitcoin education leave many without the tools to tackle it. BTCenEspañol has been a leader in Spanish-language Bitcoin education since 2014. With a goal of reaching one million learners and training 100 teachers, BTCenEspañol is expanding to make Bitcoin education more accessible across the region, including Nicaragua and Venezuela. The HRF grant will support this growth, equipping individuals with the knowledge needed to secure their financial independence amid rising authoritarianism on the continent.

Growing adoption of Bitcoin by nonprofit organizations : Under dictatorships, non-governmental organizations face bank account freezes, surveillance, and financial censorship, limiting their ability to support vulnerable communities. Daniel Batten, a Bitcoin researcher, quantifies Bitcoin's role as a financial lifeline to help nonprofits overcome these challenges. Through empirical research, his initiative will demonstrate how Bitcoin allows nonprofits under authoritarian regimes to operate more freely.

Bitcoin for Good When authoritarian regimes use the financial system to counter dissent, charities and nonprofits are among the first to suffer. Bitcoin for Good is an educational initiative led by Hadiya Masieh, activist and founder of Groundswell. She empowers organizations by teaching them how to accept and manage censorship-resistant funding. Through hands-on training and direct integration with Bitcoin for donations, nonprofits learn how to operate beyond the reach of regulators and financial regimes. With this grant, Bitcoin for Good will help nonprofits maintain their funding, independence, and freedom to pursue their work.

You can also check out the help series provided by the HRF in 2024.