The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) announced its latest round of grants through its Bitcoin Development Fund. A total of 10 BTC, equivalent to approximately $590,000 at the current Bitcoin price, is being distributed across 20 groundbreaking projects worldwide.
These initiatives, which primarily focus on advancing technical education, improving decentralized mining, and supporting human rights groups with enhanced financial privacy solutions, mark a significant contribution to Bitcoin’s role in promoting freedom and financial independence for individuals living under authoritarian regimes.
The projects receiving funding in this round span three major regions—Latin America, Asia, and Africa—where the demand for Bitcoin as a tool for financial empowerment continues to rise. By enabling more secure, decentralized, and censorship-resistant access to Bitcoin, these initiatives offer new hope for millions living in repressive environments.
While the HRF did not specify the exact grant amount for each project, the 20 selected initiatives collectively represent a global push toward financial sovereignty through the adoption of Bitcoin technology. Below is an overview of the recipients and their respective missions.
Key Grant Recipients and Their Projects
African Bitcoiners
African Bitcoiners is a community-led initiative aimed at educating Africans on the use of Bitcoin to achieve financial freedom. With a focus on regions troubled by political instability and economic mismanagement, the group offers free Lightning payment routing for merchants.
It enables the purchase of airtime and data using Bitcoin. The grant will support educational material production and operational costs, helping Africans leverage Bitcoin for financial sovereignty.
Stratospher
Stratospher is a Bitcoin Core developer focused on enhancing user privacy and decentralization within the Bitcoin protocol. Their contributions include improving peer-to-peer (P2P) network privacy, vital for protecting individuals from financial surveillance, especially in authoritarian regimes.
This grant will allow Stratospher to continue its full-time development work, safeguarding users’ financial privacy.
Coracle
Coracle is a Nostr-based web client that aims to create a decentralized social media platform resistant to censorship.
Developed by hodlbod, Coracle’s privacy-centered features, such as enhanced direct messaging, are designed to empower activists and human rights defenders. Funding will be used to hire a full-time developer and continue platform enhancements.
Harbor
Harbor, a Bitcoin ecash wallet developed by Ben Carman and Paul Miller, focuses on improving Bitcoin privacy by incorporating multiple mints and Tor integration. This privacy-first approach offers crucial protections to individuals and organizations operating under surveillance.
The grant will help Harbor launch its 1.0 release.
The 256 Foundation
The 256 Foundation aims to democratize Bitcoin mining by developing Bitaxe, an affordable home mining device.
Bitaxe helps protect miners in authoritarian countries from government oversight by offering discreet mining tools. Funding will support further improvements to the device and ensure compatibility with more ASIC manufacturers.
Kiveclair
Based in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kiveclair promotes Bitcoin education and adoption through training sessions for activists, journalists, and developers. Led by Gloire Wanzavalere, co-founder of the Africa Bitcoin Conference, the community also provides shelter for refugees.
The grant will fund meetups, educational materials, and the development of an educational space.
Jeff Gardner
Jeff Gardner is working on bringing end-to-end encryption to Nostr’s direct and group messages, ensuring resilient communication channels in the face of state surveillance. His efforts will enable activists to securely communicate and organize without relying on centralized servers.
This grant will support ongoing development and a full security audit.
Silentium
Silentium is a privacy-centric Bitcoin wallet incorporating Silent Payments, allowing activists to receive donations through unique addresses without exposing their identities.
By preventing authoritarian regimes from tracking financial transactions, Silentium empowers users in repressive environments. The grant will support infrastructure costs, including cloud hosting and developer hiring.
BTC Shule
Led by Belyï Nobel Kubwayo, BTC Shule educates Burundians on how to use Bitcoin for uncensorable payments under the country’s authoritarian regime. The project includes a bilingual platform, a physical center for meetups, and a Bitcoin support community.
Funding will support the creation of these resources, empowering more Burundians to gain financial independence.
EttaWallet
EttaWallet is a mobile Lightning wallet developed by Collin Rukundo with a focus on self-custody and usability. The wallet challenges custodial solutions, empowering citizens in developing countries to manage their funds independently.
The grant will help localize the wallet and foster a community of users.
Supporting Infrastructure and Education
In addition to these individual projects, the HRF grants are supporting broader Bitcoin infrastructure and educational efforts that serve as the backbone of the growing decentralized financial ecosystem.
Tor Relay Operator Associations
Vital for maintaining network reliability and protecting privacy, the Tor relay operator associations play a crucial role in strengthening the network against attacks. HRF funding will help improve the stability and robustness of onion services, which are essential for activists and Bitcoin users alike.
Rikto Xonghoti
An educational initiative based in Assam, India, Rikto Xonghoti is working to establish a Bitcoin circular economy in an underdeveloped region. The project will translate Bitcoin educational materials into Assamese and create a local center for Bitcoin education.
Funds will be used for salaries, development, and acquiring Bitcoin mining equipment.
Yes Bitcoin Haiti
Yes Bitcoin Haiti seeks to empower Haitians with the knowledge to use Bitcoin for financial sovereignty amidst the country’s political and economic crisis. The project leaders will undergo training and translate educational materials into Haitian Creole.
HRF funds will cover their salaries and operational expenses.
Bitcoin Indonesia
Bitcoin Indonesia focuses on expanding the local Bitcoin community through educational platforms and conferences. This grant will support outreach efforts, content creation, and event organization, helping build a Bitcoin talent pipeline for the country’s growing tech scene.
Bitcoin++
Bitcoin++ is a global conference series aimed at developers who want to dive deep into Bitcoin’s technical underpinnings. The grant will support travel costs for developers from authoritarian countries to attend the upcoming Berlin conference, fostering a global exchange of ideas.
TABConf
A developer-focused conference in Atlanta, TABConf brings together Bitcoin developers to collaborate on advancing the protocol. The HRF grant will help cover travel expenses for developers in financial need, ensuring greater inclusivity in the Bitcoin development community.
Baltic Honeybadger
With its cypherpunk ethos, Baltic Honeybadger is the world’s first nonprofit, Bitcoin-only conference. The HRF grant will help activists and human rights defenders attend the conference, expanding their knowledge of Bitcoin as a tool for resistance.
LaBitconf and Descentralizar
LaBitconf and Descentralizar are two of Latin America’s largest Bitcoin conferences. The HRF grant will cover travel expenses for speakers and attendees, as well as conference logistics, ensuring the local community can explore Bitcoin as a solution to Argentina’s economic crisis.
Satsconf
Held in São Paulo, Satsconf is the largest Bitcoin-only conference in South America. The HRF grant will support speaker travel, event logistics, and a hackathon, connecting the local Bitcoin community with global leaders in the space.
Solidarity Summit
Organized by Hager Eissa, the Solidarity Summit brings together former political prisoners, human rights advocates, and Bitcoin activists. The HRF grant will fund a financial freedom program, event logistics, and a documentary to highlight the intersection of human rights and financial sovereignty.
Conclusion: Bitcoin as a Human Rights Tool
The HRF’s Bitcoin Development Fund is a lifeline for individuals and communities living under oppressive regimes. By funding projects that improve access to education, privacy, and financial autonomy, the HRF is leveraging Bitcoin as a tool for promoting human rights worldwide.
As authoritarianism continues to rise in many parts of the globe, these initiatives offer hope for a more decentralized, censorship-resistant financial future.
The Human Rights Foundation, a nonpartisan nonprofit, remains dedicated to promoting and protecting human rights across the globe, with a special focus on closed societies. The HRF’s ongoing commitment to supporting Bitcoin development ensures that financial freedom is available to everyone, regardless of political or economic circumstances.