ZoneBitcoin EditorialFew months ago, the Human Right Foundation (HRF) launched the fourth edition of its competition to finance humanitarian projects linked to Bitcoin. December 19, 2023, HRF designated the projects selected who will receive a total of 20 BTC to share.
Here is the list of 18 selected projects which will receive a bitcoin grant to develop bitcoin projects linked to the protection of freedom of expression and respect for human rights around the world.
Mostro: a P2P Bitcoin platform
Developed on Nostr by Venezuelan developer Francisco Calderón the Mostro platform aims to establish a open source protocol and to specialize for developers living in authoritarian regimes. The funding will support Mostro's progress in helping users in restrictive financial environments buy and sell bitcoin in a censorship-resistant manner.
The project began in 2021 with the creation of a bot on Telegram called @lnp2pBot which has continued to gain popularity in Africa and .
Mi Primer Bitcoin
« Mi Primer Bitcoin » is a non-profit organization providing free Bitcoin education in Central America. Their Bitcoin Diploma is already in use in countries such as El Salvador, South Africa, Portugal, Honduras, Cuba, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Colombia, and Uruguay. HRF funding will specifically support international expansion and translation of resources into other languages where there is little documentation.
Bitcoin Arabic
The information site published in Arabic Arabic Hodl which makes Bitcoin more accessible to more than 400 million Arabic-speaking people around the world. The funds will support the creation of practical guides, tutorials on privacy and self-custody, podcast educational and fundamental books on the principles of Bitcoin in Arabic, as well as best practices and how to start using and contributing to the network.
netblocks
netblocks is a collective and platform that helps monitor and report internet restrictions around the world. The impact of internet shutdowns for human rights activists and journalists can be disastrous. Thus, Netblock wants to fight for the public's right to freedom of expression, access to information and free political participation. The funding will also support coverage of emerging threats to Internet connectivity and in particular those affecting the Bitcoin network.
Development on Stratus V2
The developer Lorban was rewarded for his work on Stratum V2, an upgrade to the current protocol that Bitcoin miners use to communicate with pools. Stratum V2 allows mining pool users to select transactions for proposed blocks, instead of relying on pool models, increasing resistance to Bitcoin censorship by reducing the problematic power of pools.
Developer John Carlson
John Carlson is the second developer to be recognized for his continued contributions to updating and improving the Bitcoin Core App project, which allows users to run Bitcoin on their phones. Through this work, it will be possible to reduce technical barriers, making self-custody and self-verification of Bitcoin transactions more accessible to a wider audience. HRF’s funding will also support his efforts to expand compatibility with Android phones and tablets as well.
Area Bitcoin
In order to expand its free educational content on Bitcoin across multiple languages, the platform Area Bitcoin, founded by Carol Souza and Kaka Furlan, is a leading educational resource based in Brazil, operating primarily in English and Portuguese, with over 300 followers. The funding will support the development and translation of videos and articles into Spanish and English to target an ever-widening audience.
Berta Valle
Berta Valle is a human rights activist and Bitcoin educator practicing in Nicaragua. She seeks to help the human rights community. She will use the funds to establish an interactive online Bitcoin training program for Nicaraguan dissidents and civil society leaders, helping them become more resilient and robust in their efforts to resist the Ortega regime.
Bitshala, a Bitcoin-led educational initiative
Bitshala is an educational initiative led by Indian bitcoiners that provides advice and resources to developers starting out with Bitcoin. Bitshala will use the funding to create a repository of tutorials and technical presentations, organize study groups, conduct PR reviews, and support a vibrant Bitcoin community by India. Remember that India is a leading country in the adoption of Bitcoin in the world.
Hack.BS
Hack BS a non-profit association based in Italy (in Brescia) founded by Daniela Brozzoni et Alex Filini. Funding will be used to open a hacker space cypherpunk. Funding from HRF will help internationalize the center and bring in global expertise in the areas of financial freedom and the defense of privacy. It is also a collaborative co-working space by day and an active events space, hosting meetups, workshops and hackathon the night.
Bitcoin Deepa
Bitcoin Deepa, also known as “Pearl of Satoshi” on Twitter, to expand the Bitcoin community in Sri Lanka. The funds will support monthly Bitcoin meetups in cities such as Colombo, Galle and Kandy. The project also aims to help merchants adopt Bitcoin acceptance methods and introduce Lightning solutions based on BoltCard. The funds will also support the launch of a Sinhala podcast, “Bitcoin Katha”.
Exonumia
Exonumia a non-profit organization translating educational content about Bitcoin into native African languages such as Shona, Malagasy, Amharic, Kiswahili and Lingala. The funding will support Exonumia's efforts to translate additional content into several other languages, raise awareness about Bitcoin, and develop communities geared toward financial independence, in Africa.
L0la L33tz
He is an engaged journalist who was recognized by the HRF for his efforts in creating a Bitcoin privacy guide for beginners, with a particular focus on activists, dissidents and NGOs operating in environments difficult. The guide will help newcomers understand privacy risks, assess personal threat vectors, learn privacy-preserving techniques, and understand Bitcoin technology to make prudent and informed privacy decisions.
groundswell
groundswell is a project founded by Hadiya Masieh that supports free Bitcoin education to diaspora and exile communities in the UK, particularly refugees from the Middle East. The funds will be used to organize workshops, create training materials, learn how to use the wallets and educate refugees and the Diaspora on how to send bitcoin to their family back home.
Kulpreet Singh
Kulpreet Singh is an Indian bitcoin developer who was awarded for his work on Braidpool, a proposed peer-to-peer mining pool designed to improve Bitcoin's censorship resistance. Similar to Ocean mining pool, Braidpool allows miners to build their blocks, reducing the influence of pool operators to delay or prevent payments. The funds will enable Kulpreet's continued development of Braidpool to increase Bitcoin's censorship resistance and increase decentralization.
SeedSigner
SeedSigner is a open source bitcoin wallet which is available in DIY. This means that anywhere and anyone can build their own portfolio. The funds will facilitate the final stages of MicroPython's research and development, eliminate dependencies on Raspberry Pi and will enable operations on even more affordable items to make self-custody of Bitcoin even more accessible.
bitcoin++
Bitcoin++ is a series of conferences for bitcoin developers around the world. With a focus on lectures and hands-on workshops, developers will dive into the latest technological advancements in Bitcoin. Funding from HRF will cover educational efforts, general conference expenses, as well as developer travel costs around the world.
Bitcoin Atlantis
This is a Bitcoin conference taking place March 1-3 in Madeira, Portugal. HRF funding will help human rights defenders, civil society leaders and educators working in dictatorships attend the event, share their experiences and gain new contacts and resources. Bitcoin meet-ups of this type are important because they help consolidate knowledge about bitcoin and create communities around the world.
Final word
Here is the list of 18 projects which will be supported by the HRF, for this fourth edition. The Human Right Foundation is a nonprofit organization registered in the United States and operating throughout the world. The purpose of the HRF is to promote freedom and human rights around the world.
