Q2 2025 Btrust Builders Pathways Graduation
We are excited to announce the successful completion of the 2025 Btrust Builders’ Q2 Pathways. This was an initiative designed to equip developers with the core skills needed to contribute to open-source Bitcoin projects.
The quarter’s programs placed a strong emphasis on technical depth, collaboration, and real-world problem-solving. Developers from more than 15 countries joined a supportive learning community that continues to set new standards for excellence and diversity.
Rust for Bitcoiners
Our first-ever Rust for Bitcoiners cohort welcomed 128 intermediate to advanced developers, from Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Senegal, India, Poland, Tanzania, Ghana, Pakistan, Malawi, Burundi, and Burkina Faso.
This six-week track centered around the Bitcoiner’s Intro to Rust course on BTCdemy, supplemented with Builders’ practical exercises. Participants engaged in a self-paced curriculum covering Rust fundamentals and consistently applied these concepts to Bitcoin-specific projects.
Support was provided through homegroups led by experienced chaperones, weekly group sync calls, and dedicated office hours on Discord. The environment balanced independence and collaboration, encouraging participants to share progress, work through challenges collectively, and present their solutions to peers.
Upon completion, 38 developers fulfilled all graduation criteria: completing BTCdemy modules, actively participating in group sessions, submitting weekly coding tasks via GitHub on schedule, and completing a Builders capstone project. Notably, this cohort demonstrated greater diversity than ever before, with a rise in both female and non-binary participants and graduates.
You can check out the full list of graduates here.
Language Clubs Pathway (Python & C++)
The Language Clubs pathway offered a self-paced but structured environment for developers seeking to deepen their proficiency in Python or C++, two of the most widely used languages in Bitcoin development.
This cohort brought together 20 participants from Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Brazil, including approximately 25% female developers.
Over six weeks, participants engaged with curated tracks on Exercism, supplemented by Builders’ exercises that connected core programming skills directly to Bitcoin development tasks.
The format included weekly group calls for progress reviews, peer engagements via Discord, and dedicated office hours for support and troubleshooting.
Graduation required the completion of at least 85% of assigned exercises, regular submission of code and progress updates, active participation in group sessions, and a final capstone project. Six developers successfully met the criteria and graduated from the program.
The full list of graduates is available here.
Reflections and Next Steps
Q2 was a big first for us. We launched both the Rust for Bitcoiners and Language Clubs cohorts for the very first time. It’s been exciting to see these tracks come to life, and we learned a lot along the way. Throughout the program, we’ve been listening closely to participants and gathering feedback, which we’re already using to make the next round even better.
Beyond the technical progress, the sense of community stood out. People from different countries and backgrounds came together, shared ideas, and tackled some pretty tough challenges side by side.
To the graduates, congratulations. Your determination and engagement set a strong example for future cohorts. We encourage everyone who participated to continue learning, collaborate openly, and, where possible, begin contributing to Bitcoin open-source projects.
For anyone interested in joining the next cohorts, keep in touch through our Discord and watch for our next round of programs. If you’re curious, want to apply or refer a friend, visit our application page for more information.
A huge thanks to the participants, mentors, chaperones, and the broader Builders team who supported the Q2 2025 pathways and made them memorable.
About Us
Btrust Builders is Btrust’s comprehensive engineering program designed to train experienced software developers in Africa to contribute to open-source Bitcoin & Lightning development. The program offers an immersive learning experience for engineers looking to build their competencies and portfolio in Bitcoin & Lightning development and a ramp to build a sustainable (funded) career contributing to open-source Bitcoin projects.
