Latest news and developments from Btrust

Celebrating 11 African Builders Beyond the 2026 BOSS Challenge

The BOSS Challenge may be over, but for this year’s finalists, the work has not stopped. They are still opening pull requests, responding to reviews and building tools for Bitcoin and the Lightning Network. Some are improving the projects they started during the challenge. Others have moved into new

BitDevs Explained: What to Expect and How to Get Involved

Walk into a BitDevs meetup for the first time and you may feel as though the conversation started before you arrived. Someone might be discussing a recent change proposed for Bitcoin Core. A few minutes later, the group moved on to a Bitcoin Improvement Proposal, better known as a BIP,

Announcing the First Round of 2026 Bitcoin Developer Education Grant Recipients

Over $900k awarded across five education initiatives supporting Bitcoin open-source development in Africa and the Global Majority.

Introducing the First Batch of 2026 Btrust Event Grants

For many developers, the first step into Bitcoin is not a grant, a fellowship, or a full-time open-source role. It is a local meetup, workshop, hackathon, conference talk, or technical session where they see that Bitcoin is not only something to use, but something they can build on and contribute

Getting Started with LDK Node: Building a Lightning Node in Rust

Written by Rita Anene If you've spent time in the Bitcoin developer space, you've probably heard of LDK, (the Lightning Development Kit). LDK gives a great deal of control. You can decide how peers connect, how channels are configured, how keys are handled, and how data

What Happens After Your First Merged PR?

There are few moments in open source that feel as rewarding as seeing your first pull request merged. For many contributors, it marks the end of days, weeks, or even months spent navigating an unfamiliar codebase, responding to review comments, revising changes, and wondering if their contribution will eventually be

Announcing Q2, 2026 Btrust Developer Grant Recipients

Africa, July 13, 2026 - We’re excited to announce the Q2 2026 Btrust developer grant recipients. Last quarter, seven Bitcoin open-source developers were awarded grants, including three starter grant recipients and four long-term open-source cohort members. This cohort continues our mission to decentralize Bitcoin open-source development by supporting talented

In Their Own Words: Reflections from the Q1 2026 Self-Paced Tracks

In Q1 2026, Btrust Builders ran two learning pathways in parallel: Mastering Bitcoin and Learn Bitcoin from the Command Line. Each pathway had two tracks: a live cohort with weekly sessions, chaperones, structured assignments, and formal graduation requirements; and a self-paced track for developers who wanted to study the same

From Builders to Leaders: Meet the African Women Shaping Bitcoin’s Future

Bitcoin has always carried a powerful promise: that money can be open, neutral, and fair. Regardless of where you are from, what you look like, who you know, or the kind of background you have should not decide whether you can access the global financial system. That promise is one

Celebrating the Builders of the Bitcoin++ Open Source Edition Hackathon

The bitcoin++ Open Source Edition Hackathon brought together 90 builders from across Africa and beyond for two intense days of hacking, collaboration, learning, and open-source innovation. From June 17th, participants built projects spanning Bitcoin, Lightning, Nostr, developer tooling, financial inclusion, open-source infrastructure, and real-world applications. The result was an impressive

How Curiosity Led Me from Civil Engineering to Bitcoin Open Source Contribution

Written by Jemimah Nagasha If you had told me a few years ago that I would leave my civil engineering job to work full-time in Bitcoin open source, I probably would have smiled politely and gone back to reviewing construction drawings. At the time, my life followed a fairly structured

Btrust Announces New Board to Lead Next Phase of Growth

Global, May 19, 2026 - Btrust today announced the appointment of its new Board of Directors, marking the completion of a planned governance transition and the beginning of its next chapter. Following a global, open call and a rigorous selection process, Janet Maingi, Bruno Garcia, and Laurence Aderemi have assumed