Key Takeaways
- HRF has partnered with FCF Pay to allow car purchases using Bitcoin.
- HRF is not the first Japanese motor company to accept Bitcoin.
- SBI Motors began accepting Bitcoin back in May of 2022.
The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) has announced a new round of grants from its Bitcoin Development Fund, unveiled at the Oslo Freedom Forum. The foundation is distributing 10 BTC, equivalent to $704,740, to support 13 projects globally. These grants will aid in education, privacy enhancements, decentralized communications, and providing nonprofits and human rights groups with financial freedom tools.
This round focuses on regions in Latin America, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. The HRF previously awarded $500,000 to 14 projects in March. Although individual grant amounts were not disclosed, the recipients include:
- RoboSats: A privacy-focused, peer-to-peer Bitcoin exchange platform utilizing the Lightning Network, aiming to support individuals in authoritarian regimes.
- Bitshala Internship Program: An educational initiative in India, providing mentorship and resources to aspiring Bitcoin developers.
- Building Bridges to Bitcoin (BBB): An educational project by Ideas Beyond Borders, offering Arabic educational materials to promote financial autonomy in the Middle East and North Africa.
- Flash: A Lightning wallet for the Caribbean, designed to provide access to global markets and facilitate Bitcoin transactions.
- Bitcoin Seoul: A conference in Korea to foster Bitcoin adoption and provide a platform for North Korean defectors to engage with Bitcoin developers.
- Margot Paez’s Research: A study on Bitcoin mining’s impact on human rights and energy systems.
- Validating Lightning Signer (VLS): A project enhancing Lightning Network security by separating private keys from nodes.
- OpenSats: A charity funding open-source Bitcoin projects.
- The Core: A Kenyan educational platform promoting financial freedom through Bitcoin.
- Terry Yiu: A developer working on Nostr-related projects to strengthen freedom of speech and censorship-resistant communications.
- Paulo Sacramento: A researcher studying Brazil’s Pix payment system to glean lessons for Bitcoin adoption.
- Blockchain Commons: A nonprofit developing the FROST security protocol for private keys.
- Summer of Bitcoin: An internship program connecting university students with Bitcoin development opportunities.
The HRF remains committed to promoting human rights and financial freedom through Bitcoin, welcoming donations and grant applications to support their mission.
