Announcing the Q4 2024 Btrust Grant Recipients
We are excited to announce the Q4 2024 recipients of Btrust grants. This quarter, Abdullahi Yunus has been awarded the Starter Grant, while Enigbe Ochekliye and Tobechi Chukwuleta will transition to the Btrust Open-Source Cohort.
Nairobi, December 14, 2024 — We are excited to announce the Q4 2024 recipients of Btrust grants. This quarter, Abdullahi Yunus has been awarded the Starter Grant, while Enigbe Ochekliye and Tobechi Chukwuleta will transition to the Btrust Open-Source Cohort. These initiatives reflect our commitment to empowering talented developers from the Global South, driving innovation, and strengthening Bitcoin's resilience.
Starter Grant
The Btrust Starter Grant is a six-month program providing financial and technical support to early-stage Bitcoin open-source developers. It is designed to help grantees focus on contributing to Bitcoin projects full-time while identifying a long-term area of specialization.
Along with a monthly stipend paid in bitcoin, recipients receive mentorship, technical guidance, and support in developing proposals for continued contributions, often leading to the Btrust Open-Source Cohort.
Starter Grant Recipient
Abdullahi Yunus Ahmed
Focus Area: Enhancing Lightning Network Daemon (LND) and Lightning Polar
Abdullahi is a Btrust Builders cohort 3 alumnus, and has demonstrated outstanding contributions to Bitcoin’s open-source projects. His work on LND has enhanced node reliability and user experience, while his improvements to Lightning Polar simplify developer workflows. With a strong focus on Bitcoin education, Abdullahi also mentors aspiring developers, making the ecosystem more accessible.
Through the Starter Grant, Abdullahi will continue to refine LND and Polar and create resources to onboard more developers into Bitcoin open-source.
Btrust Open-Source Cohort
The Btrust Open-Source Cohort offers long-term support to established Bitcoin contributors, promoting a collaborative environment for sustained development. Members receive funding paid monthly in Bitcoin, mentorship, and peer support to deepen their work on critical open-source Bitcoin projects. The cohort model aims to build a resilient, inclusive developer ecosystem, enabling contributors from the Global South to make meaningful, lasting impacts on Bitcoin's open-source ecosystem.
Btrust Open-Source Cohort Members
Enigbe Ochekliye
Focus Area: Lightning Development Kit (LDK)
Enigbe has made impactful contributions to the LDK Node, including critical enhancements to API customization and logging systems. Her passion for education has led to the development of a Rust-based programming guide for Bitcoin, designed to onboard new developers. As part of the Btrust Open-Source Cohort, Enigbe will continue her contributions to LDK while expanding Bitcoin education initiatives through workshops and technical writing.
Tobechi Chukwuleta
Focus Area: Expanding BTCPay Server’s capabilities
Tobechi’s work has been pivotal in advancing BTCPay Server, including the development of plugins such as the BigCommerce Plugin and an updated Shopify Plugin to adapt to platform changes. As a community builder, Tobechi also co-leads BitDevs Lagos, fostering collaboration and growth among Bitcoin developers in Nigeria. As a cohort member, Tobechi will enhance BTCPay’s plugin ecosystem and lead the development of a robust plugin builder for the platform.
Fostering Global Bitcoin Innovation
Btrust is committed to decentralizing Bitcoin development by supporting developers from underrepresented regions. These grants provide the resources and community needed to make lasting contributions to Bitcoin's open-source ecosystem.
As Abubakar Nur Khalil, Btrust's CEO, emphasizes: "By supporting developers from the Global South, we are strengthening Bitcoin’s resilience to ensure it remains a robust global financial tool."
Applications for Btrust Grants
Applications for the Btrust grants are open year-round, with quarterly announcements. Learn more about our programs and apply through our website.
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About Btrust
Btrust is a non-profit organization with a dedicated mission to decentralize the development of Bitcoin Open-Source Software. Our focus is on fostering developer talent in the Global South and supporting the free and open-source Bitcoin ecosystem.
