₿trust has announced it will sponsor the maiden edition of the Africa Bitcoin Conference, which will hold in Accra, Ghana, on December 5 – 7, 2022. ₿trust’s goal is to improve the resilience, reach and relevance of Bitcoin as global money by democratizing its developer base.
₿trust exists to decentralize the development of Free and Open Source Bitcoin Software. Its goal is to locate, educate and remunerate developers in the Global South that have an interest in working on Bitcoin’s technical stack.
The organization is overseen by an all-African board; Abubakar Nur Khalil, Ojoma Ochai, Obi Nwosu, and Carla Kirk-Cohen. The board members will also be amongst the notable speakers at the three- days event, which is expected to have over 1000 attendees.
Bitcoin Care Contributor and Board Member of BTrust, Abubakar Nur Khalil said, “The Africa Bitcoin Conference presents a novel opportunity for Bitcoiners on the continent to have a place where they can meet and collaborate with the broader Bitcoin ecosystem, further sharpen their knowledge and skills, and build solutions that prioritize the local context”. Khalil is also excited to be sharing the stage with other notable speakers at the conference.
Ojoma Ochai, a Board Member of BTrust, and also a notable speaker at the conference, added, “there are a range of global imperatives that require a solution like Bitcoin but nowhere are these imperatives starker than on the continent of Africa. It therefore gives me great pleasure that the Africa Bitcoin Conference gives us a chance to have an Africa-focused Bitcoin discussion, on African soil, in one of my favorite cities on the continent. Akwaaba in advance to all who are planning to attend”!
In July 2022, ₿trust announced the formation of its Open Source Cohort which will fund and support African Developers working on Bitcoin Open Source Development. The cohort also welcomed its first developer, Vladimir Fomene, who contributes to the Bitcoin Developer Kit project. In 2023, ₿trust will look to grow the open source cohort and expand its operations in Africa.
Farida Nabourema, the convener of the Africa Bitcoin Conference, believes Africa will continue to be the biggest market for Bitcoin. Nabourema said, “we are thankful for the support BTrust has given the conference so far and the caliber of speakers participating in the event”.