The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) has recently announced its latest round of Bitcoin Development Fund grants, with a focus on projects around the world that promote global education, Lightning Network development, decentralized communications, and financial freedom tools for nonprofits and human rights groups. The grants, totaling an undisclosed amount, are being distributed across various projects in Latin America, Asia, and Africa.
One of the recipients of the grants is Calle, which is developing a USD-based Chaumian e-cash system called E-Cash for Bitcoin. This system aims to provide a private, affordable, and stable way to use USD-denominated credits within the broader Bitcoin Lightning network, without any connection to the traditional banking system. Activists will be able to exchange their bitcoin for privacy-protecting dollar-denominated E-Cash, albeit in a custodial manner.
Another project receiving funding is BTCPay Server, a free open-source self-hosted payment solution that enables individuals and businesses to accept Bitcoin payments. The funding will support UI/UX improvements, feature enhancements, contributor rewards, and training programs, providing opportunities for merchants in challenging political and economic climates to process global payments and manage crowdfunding campaigns.
The BOB Builders Residency Program, based in Thailand, will use the grant to support Free and Open-Source Software (FOSS) developers working on tools to reinforce Bitcoin’s decentralization and combat centralizing forces in the software ecosystem. The program aims to cover living and travel expenses for developers in its second cohort, focusing on privacy and decentralization.
Yibaochina.com, a popular news platform led by Citizen Power Initiatives for China, will receive funding to support the wages of writers, editors, and translators as they translate Bitcoin educational materials and news items into Chinese. The platform, dedicated to promoting democracy, human rights, and the rule of law in the global Chinese-speaking community, has gained a significant readership, particularly in pro-democracy communities within China.
The Bitcoin Innovation Hub in Kampala, Uganda, led by Noble Nyangoma, will use the grant to promote the socioeconomic transformation of refugees, asylum seekers, and other vulnerable communities through vocational training and financial literacy. The hub offers classes in digital skills, carpentry, and baking, enabling stateless communities to earn Bitcoin for their work.
BITCOIN DADA, a non-profit initiative founded by Kenyan entrepreneur Lorraine Marcel, aims to empower African women through financial education and promote women-led businesses adopting Bitcoin. The funding will support the expansion of the initiative across Africa, the creation of multilingual educational resources, and the promotion of financial freedom for women.
The grants to Bitcoin DADA and the Bitcoin Innovation Hub are generously supported by Strike’s nonprofit initiative, The Bitcoin Design Foundation, which provides design infrastructure and resources to bitcoin designers and developers. The funding will support the development of the Bitcoin UI Kit, benefiting those building for people living under authoritarian regimes and in developing economies.