Previously two months, I’ve attended the Adopting Bitcoin Cape City convention in South Africa and the African Bitcoin Convention in Kenya. I’ve additionally visited Bitcoin round economies in each of those international locations together with Bitcoin Ekasi, Afribit Kibera and Bitcoin Witsand.
These experiences have opened my eyes to the truth that builders, group leaders and on a regular basis plebs throughout Africa are harnessing the facility of Bitcoin to catalyze change of their lives, and so they’re doing so whereas carrying on the spirit of the early cypherpunks.
An African Bitcoiner’s Manifesto
In “A Cypherpunk’s Manifesto,” Eric Hughes wrote:
“Cypherpunks write code. We all know that somebody has to jot down software program to defend privateness, and since we will not get privateness except all of us do, we will write it. We publish our code in order that our fellow Cypherpunks could follow and play with it. Our code is free for all to make use of, worldwide. We do not a lot care for those who do not approve of the software program we write. We all know that software program cannot be destroyed and {that a} extensively dispersed system cannot be shut down.”
It’s with this perspective that the builders in Africa are constructing. And whereas not the entire builders on the continent are writing code, they’re all doing as a lot of their work as attainable with out asking permission.
So, primarily based on what I noticed in Africa throughout my current two journeys to the continent in addition to to my journey to Ghana in late 2023, throughout which I attended the African Bitcoin Convention and visited Bitcoin Dua, I’d picture an African Bitcoiner’s model of Hughes’ manifesto would possibly learn one thing like this:
“African Bitcoiners simply construct issues with Bitcoin. We all know that anyone has to step as much as enact change, as a result of the entire guarantees from the NGOs and governments have fallen quick. We publish our proof of labor on-line in order that fellow African Bitcoiners can use it as a mannequin and adapt it to their very own distinctive context. Our proof of labor and/or code is free to duplicate throughout Africa, and past its borders. We aren’t on the lookout for approval from authorities; nonetheless, we aren’t against working with them in the event that they see the worth in our tasks and visions. We all know that our work harnesses the immutable and uncensorable nature of Bitcoin in addition to the indefatigable nature of the human spirit and, due to this fact, can’t be stopped or shut down.”
The next are some examples of tasks that embody such a spirit:
Bitcoin Ekasi
Bitcoin Ekasi is likely one of the most shining manifestations of the cypherpunk and Bitcoin ethos in Africa. The mission, initiated in 2021 and primarily based in Mossel Bay, South Africa, has develop into a mannequin for Bitcoin round economies throughout Africa.
The mission, based by Hermann Vivier (additionally one of many organizers for Adopting Bitcoin Cape City) aimed to do two issues: increase funds in bitcoin for The Surfer Children non-profit, which Vivier additionally based, and onboard retailers locally to Bitcoin. (Venture Group Chief Luthando Ndabambi has performed the latter masterfully over time.)
The aim of the second dimension of the mission was to allow group members to spend their bitcoin inside the group, ideally elevating the financial standing of the group as an entire within the course of.
The mission now works with the native public main faculty, which lately started accepting bitcoin for varsity charges, and has revamped the group facilities for each Bitcoin Ekasi and The Surfer Children (partly due to beneficiant donations from Jack Dorsey and fundraising efforts by Aubrey Strobel.)
Unveiling the brand new signal on the predominant entrance of the native township main faculty!https://t.co/ttBcG7X2nE pic.twitter.com/f6R2ryGC0P
— Bitcoin Ekasi (@BitcoinEkasi) January 17, 2025
Some politicians within the nation, a number of of whom spoke at Adopting Bitcoin Cape City this yr, have taken discover of the mission and are in consequence beginning to see the worth of Bitcoin.
Tando
Tando is an app constructed by a crew primarily based in Kenya that lets Bitcoin Lightning wallets interface with Kenya’s cellular cash system M-PESA.
The app, which doesn’t require KYC and is very intuitive, is likely one of the biggest instruments for monetary inclusion within the nation, as those that lack the right ID-papers are excluded from making funds by way of M-PESA. Utilizing Tando, they will make the fee by way of their Lightning pockets and transact digitally with their fellow Kenyans.
Tando can also be an ideal possibility for Bitcoiners who go to Kenya. I used it a number of instances throughout my keep in Kenya to pay Kenyan shilling-denominated tabs digitally.
Study extra concerning the app right here.
Bitcoin Dua
Based in 2023, Bitcoin Dua is situated in Agbozume, Ghana, which is close to the nation’s border with Togo. It’s shortly established itself as one of many fastest-growing Bitcoin round economies in Africa.
Not solely does the mission assist to teach Ghanaians about Bitcoin, but it surely additionally offers coding and robotics courses to assist its group members develop expertise that may assist them discover employment that pays in bitcoin.
Lego Robotic for preparation in direction of the 2025 #robotics competitors in Ghana. We’re capable of enhance on our gear acquisition via the #AfricaBitcoinCircularEconomyGrant. Because of @Bitcoinbeach and @BitcoinEkasi pic.twitter.com/S6NIQmYqdL
— Bitcoin Dua (@bitcoin_dua) December 29, 2024
The mission’s founder, Mawufemor Kofi Folivi and his crew have been awarded the Social Influence award at this yr’s African Bitcoin Convention, and Jack Dorsey has dedicated funding to assist construct a sports activities advanced locally.
The crew at Bitcoin Dua can’t cease and gained’t cease.
Machankura
Based in Could 2022 by Kgothatso Ngako (KG) (additionally one of many organizers for Adopting Bitcoin Cape City), Machankura allows Africans to make use of bitcoin over Lightning with characteristic telephones (i.e., cell telephones earlier than sensible telephones).
The know-how permits customers to ship bitcoin over USSD, the equal of SMS in Africa, giving a few of the two-thirds of the inhabitants of Africa that doesn’t have entry to the web entry to bitcoin.
KG can also be at the moment engaged on know-how that can retailer the personal keys to bitcoin on chips embedded in characteristic telephones, primarily enabling these telephones within the six African international locations wherein the service is on the market to double as bitcoin {hardware} wallets.
CYPHERPUNK AF.
Afribit Kibera
Afribit Kibera, situated in Kenya, is a Bitcoin round financial system situated within the largest casual settlement in Africa.
The mission’s co-founder, Ronnie Mdawida, is a long-time human rights advocate and group organizer, and he’s now utilizing Bitcoin as a device to assist additional convey the unbanked and the underbanked into the financial system.
Mdawida and his crew have onboarded 40 retailers to Bitcoin so far and have arrange a recycling program that rewards individuals with sats for his or her work.
Meet our first-ever service provider in 2025—the journey continues! Quickly, the complete Kibera will flip orange!@BitcoinEkasi @FBCEglobal @Bitcoinbeach @blinkbtc @geyserfund @thecore21m pic.twitter.com/rWhEzONN4v
— AFRIBIT KIBERA (@AfribitKibera) January 15, 2025
Whereas most of the retailers and group members of Afribit Kibera have been launched to bitcoin primarily as a medium of trade, many have began saving in it, feeling extra hopeful about their future in consequence.
Continuing Collectively Apace
Whereas every of the tasks talked about above are unbelievable in their very own proper, what makes the Bitcoin story in Africa actually particular is that the members of all these tasks proceed to be taught from and construct with each other.
That is the great thing about not solely open-source software program but in addition conferences like Adopting Bitcoin Cape City and the African Bitcoin Convention the place builders throughout the continent share their successes and challenges in addition to provide assist for one another.
In case you’ve but to attend considered one of these conferences, I extremely advocate you accomplish that, particularly for those who’d wish to really feel firsthand the spirit of the cypherpunks or those that embody the Bitcoin ethos.
African Bitcoiners aren’t ready for permission to alter each their lives and the lives of these round them. Bitcoin offers them the chance to construct a brighter future — collectively.
