Press Release: Commencement of the Btrust Builders Fellowship, January 2024 Cohort

Btrust Builders is excited to announce the commencement of its January 2024 fellowship cohort. The cohort, consisting of 55 carefully selected fellows, is set to kick off on Monday, January 22. These participants have successfully gone through the rigorous code challenge and faculty interviews, demonstrating their passion and commitment to advancing in the world of Bitcoin and Lightning development.

In the heart of Africa, where utility challenges meet the promise of Bitcoin solutions, Btrust Builders is on a mission to empower the continent. Bitcoin, with its potential to address critical issues in value exchange, holds the key to solving challenges unique to Africa. However, the landscape of Bitcoin development lacks the representation that reflects these challenges.

While the dominant voices in Bitcoin emerge from the Global North, we recognize the urgent need for equal representation. Critical decisions at the protocol level shape the future of Bitcoin, yet the voices from Africa remain underrepresented.

“The fundamental problems around the exchange of value that bitcoin addresses are out of the realm of reality of people in the West who are foreigners and thought leaders in bitcoin. We need to build real-world applications to strengthen the network,” emphasized Femi Longe , Btrust Builders' Programme Director, in a recent episode of the What Bitcoin Did podcast.

Btrust Builders sees an opportunity for Africa and the Global South to have a meaningful stake in the development of Bitcoin. The organization aims to empower software developers with the necessary knowledge and skills needed to contribute to Bitcoin and Lightning development therefore addressing the representation gap.

This cohort holds particular significance as the first under the Btrust Builders banner, following the acquisition of Qala by Btrust in 2023. The fellowship, a three-month, part-time commitment, will offer a monthly remuneration based on active participation and the successful completion of monthly deliverables.

This is the first cohort where all the faculty members have gone through the fellowship. Leveraging on their first-hand experience, this cohort has been curated in a more thoughtful approach and addresses the shortcomings of the previous cohorts. Participants can expect a comprehensive experience encompassing daily standups, written updates, technical article writing, mentorship, assessments, and feedback.?

Upon completion of the fellowship, top performers will have the opportunity to transition into open-source internships or connect with lucrative positions in Bitcoin application development, providing a tangible pathway for sustainable and funded careers in the field.

Btrust Builders believes that decentralization of the people building for and on Bitcoin enhances its resilience, reach, and relevance. As such, we are working on getting more software developers from Africa and the Global South into Bitcoin open-source development.

As we welcome the January 2024 cohort, Btrust Builders invites passionate software developers interested in Bitcoin and Lightning development to apply for future cohorts here.

About Btrust Builders

Btrust Builders is a comprehensive engineering programme designed to train experienced software developers in Africa and the Global South to contribute to open-source Bitcoin and Lightning development.

The programme offers an immersive learning experience for engineers looking to build their competencies and portfolio in Bitcoin and Lightning development and a ramp to build a sustainable (funded) career contributing to open-source Bitcoin projects.

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For Media Inquiries, Please Contact:

Femi Longe

Btrust Builders Programme Director

Email address: [email protected]