7 days to go 🚀 Today we're spotlighting the brilliant minds joining us at this year's #BtrustDeveloperDay. Our 2025 speakers include developers, researchers, and open-source contributors shaping Bitcoin across Africa, the Global South, and beyond. They'll be leading technical sessions, sharing real-world experience, and giving you direct insight into the work happening in Bitcoin today. It's a chance to learn from people building the future of the ecosystem, up close. Learn more and register here: https://www.clooza.com/events/BTRUSTDEVELOPERDAY

We’re excited to have Theophilus Isah, CEO and co‑founder of Mavapay, joining the #BtrustDeveloperDay speaker lineup.🚀 Theo is a dedicated bitcoin advocate and builder working to expand bitcoin adoption and infrastructure across the African continent. As CEO of Mavapay, he’s pioneering payment systems that connect African businesses to the global bitcoin economy. An alumnus of the @Btrust Builders program, Theo has led developer workshops and bootcamps across Nigeria 🇳🇬 and Ghana 🇬🇭, and remains deeply engaged in building open‑source tools that advance real‑world bitcoin use. His focus on technical education in the Global South has inspired and trained a new generation of builders across the bitcoin ecosystem. In the workshop, Theo, Abdullahi Yunus and Sulaiman Aminu Barkindo will walk participants through the practical process of deploying an LND node environment, and integrating it with NodeGaze, an open‑source observability tool for visualizing real‑time channel health, payments, and system events. Theo will also be part of the Lightning Round Q&A, alongside other global contributors and African builders. This session gives you the chance to ask questions about contribution paths, opportunities and challenges, so come prepared with your questions. 👉 Learn more and RSVP here to attend: https://clooza.com/events/BTRUSTDEVELOPERDAY

We’re excited to have Abdullahi Yunus, software engineer and Btrust grantee, speaking at the #BtrustDeveloperDay. Abdullahi contributes to LND, one of the open‑source implementations of the Lightning Network, where his work focuses on implementing the onion message protocol, optimizing the network graph, and developing rigorous tests to enhance system stability. At the Developer Day, Abdullahi will join Theophilus Isah and Sulaiman Aminu Barkindo for a hands-on workshop. The workshop will guide participants through the process of setting up a Lightning node, configuring it for reliability, and maintaining privacy and stability through best practices. Attendees will also learn how to automate key tasks to optimize performance and streamline operations, gaining practical insights into how professional developers manage Lightning nodes at scale. 👉 RSVP now to secure your spot: https://clooza.com/events/BTRUSTDEVELOPERDAY

We're just 10 days away from this year's #BtrustDeveloperDay; a gathering for open-source Bitcoin builders across Africa and beyond. Expect deep technical insights, meaningful conversations, and a day focused entirely on empowering the developer community. Stay tuned for more updates and announcements in the days ahead. Learn more and register to attend here: https://www.clooza.com/events/BTRUSTDEVELOPERDAY

Applications for the Btrust Board are now open! 📢 If you’re passionate about strengthening Bitcoin open-source development across the Global South, this is your opportunity to make a meaningful impact. 🗓️ Application Deadline: 22nd December, 2025 📬 Notifications: By 26th January, 2026 Learn more and apply here:

Call for Board Members

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We’re excited to welcome Bernard Parah, CEO and co‑founder of Bitnob, as a keynote speaker at this year’s #BtrustDeveloperDay. 🚀 Bitnob is a leading fintech infrastructure company building the financial and blockchain rails that connect Africa to the global internet economy. Bernard is also the founder of Qala, now known as Btrust Builders, an initiative that has developed one of the largest pipelines of Bitcoin technical talent across Africa. Under his leadership, Qala trained over 200 developers, many of whom now contribute to Bitcoin Core, and secured funding from leading organizations including the Human Rights Foundation (HRF), Chaincode Labs, Coinbase, and Gemini. In 2023, Qala’s impact was further recognized when it was acquired by Btrust. A respected thought leader in the global Bitcoin space, Bernard has spoken at prestigious events such as the The Bitcoin Conference (USA), Oslo Freedom Forum (OFF) (Norway), Africa Bitcoin Conference (Ghana & Kenya), and Adopting Bitcoin (El Salvador). His work and insights have been featured in Forbes, CNBC, Arise, and BBC Radio. Learn more and register to attend the Developer Day: https://clooza.com/events/BTRUSTDEVELOPERDAY

We’re excited to welcome the Coinswap development team to the #BtrustDeveloperDay for a special live demo and hands-on workshop. This session will give participants an exclusive first look at the Coinswap App (beta) and the chance to perform a coinswap on Signet, experiencing the technology in action. Attendees will dive deep into the protocol’s privacy model, exploring how Coinswap enhances confidentiality in bitcoin transactions and understanding the nuances that make it such a powerful tool for preserving user privacy. The workshop will also walk through the protocol’s architecture, current functionality, and upcoming improvements outlined in the Coinswap project roadmap. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore one of the most promising privacy innovations in Bitcoin, live, hands-on, and led by the team building it. 👉 RSVP now to secure your spot: https://clooza.com/events/BTRUSTDEVELOPERDAY

Collaboration is at the heart of every great developer community. That’s why we’re delighted to recognize the Mauritius Software Craftsmanship Community (MSCC) as a community partner for this year’s #BtrustDeveloperDay. 🚀 The MSCC is a vibrant, technology-agnostic community of IT professionals passionate about raising the bar for software development in Mauritius and beyond. Guided by the principles of Software Craftsmanship, they focus on mastering the craft, writing clean and maintainable code, and continuously learning together to build better software. If you’ve ever attended their annual Developers Conference (DevCon), joined one of their monthly meetups, or taken part in a casual coding session, you already know how much they value knowledge sharing, collaboration, and professional growth. A big thank-you to the MSCC for opening up their platform and community to help us share our work and connect with more developers. Learn more about the community at mscc.mu Register to attend the Developer Day here: https://www.clooza.com/events/BTRUSTDEVELOPERDAY

We're excited to have Bruno Ely Reis Garcia, head of engineering and board member at Vinteum, presenting bitcoinfuzz at #BtrustDeveloperDay. Bruno is a Bitcoin Core contributor, an OpenSats grantee, and the maintainer of bitcoinfuzz; a specialized tool for testing Bitcoin/LN projects through comparative analysis of different implementations. In this session, Bruno will walk through how bitcoinfuzz works, outlining its architecture, current capabilities, and future goals. He will also give a clear overview of fuzzing techniques and dive into differential fuzzing, explaining how it can uncover subtle bugs and improve the reliability of Bitcoin and Lightning Network implementations. His work focuses on strengthening the security and stability of Bitcoin’s ecosystem, ensuring it can scale and operate reliably under diverse conditions. As both a developer and a leader within Vinteum, Bruno combines deep technical knowledge with a commitment to building open-source tools that serve the global Bitcoin community. This talk is a must-attend for developers interested in advanced testing methodologies, protocol robustness, and tools that make Bitcoin software more dependable. 👉 Learn more and secure your spot here: https://clooza.com/events/BTRUSTDEVELOPERDAY

We’re excited to have Jamal ERRAKIBI, Rust developer and Btrust grantee, speaking at this year’s #BtrustDeveloperDay. Jamal is a Bitcoin open-source contributor who works primarily on rust-bitcoin, helping strengthen the ecosystem through secure, high-performance development. Beyond his engineering work, he’s deeply committed to Bitcoin education, simplifying complex technical ideas for broader audiences through projects like BTC Illustrated and Decoding Bitcoin. In this session, Jamal will unpack why Rust is rapidly becoming one of the most important programming languages in Bitcoin development. He’ll explore the principles behind Rust’s safety, performance, and reliability, and explore how these features are reshaping Bitcoin tools; from wallet libraries to Lightning implementations. By highlighting real examples and developer insights, Jamal will show why Rust is helping teams build more secure, maintainable, and future-ready Bitcoin infrastructure. Join Jamal’s session to see how Rust is driving innovation across the Bitcoin ecosystem and what it means for developers building the next wave of open-source tools. 👉 Learn more and RSVP to attend: https://clooza.com/events/BTRUSTDEVELOPERDAY

Tobechi Chukwuleta, software engineer at BTCPay Server and Btrust grantee, is a dedicated open-source contributor focused on expanding the accessibility of bitcoin payments worldwide. At BTCPay Server, he develops payment integrations, plugins, and extensions that enable merchants to accept bitcoin seamlessly across different e-commerce platforms. His work helps simplify digital transactions for businesses of all sizes, contributing to the growth of a more open, permissionless financial system. Through his engineering and advocacy, Tobechi continues to shape how merchants and developers interact with Bitcoin as a practical tool for commerce. At the #BtrustDeveloperDay, Tobechi will join Emmanuel Itakpe for a joint session on Mavapay & BTCPay Server. Together, they’ll explore how bitcoin is transforming payment systems across Africa, bridging existing payment rails with decentralized technologies to create faster, more inclusive infrastructures. The session will dive into why bitcoin matters for Africans, the opportunities it unlocks for merchants and enterprises, and how open-source development empowers the continent to build its own financial future. 👉 RSVP here to secure your spot: https://clooza.com/events/BTRUSTDEVELOPERDAY

Emmanuel Itakpe, chief operating officer at Mavapay, joins the #BtrustDeveloperDay speaker lineup with a session on Mavapay & BTCPay Server. Emmanuel’s work focuses on building Bitcoin-powered payment systems that serve real people and businesses across Africa. Through Mavapay, he and his team are integrating Lightning Network technology into existing payment rails to enable instant transactions across African currencies, transforming how merchants, SMEs, and enterprises connect payments from in-person sales to online stores. His journey into Bitcoin development began with the Btrust Builders program in 2022, followed by the Bitcoin Dev Program from Chaincode Labs, where he built tools and resources to help developers navigate Bitcoin’s architecture. Emmanuel’s philosophy, show, not tell, reflects his commitment to demonstrating how decentralized technology can empower Africans economically. In his session, Emmanuel will explore why Africa needs Bitcoin, how integration with established systems unlocks new possibilities, and the future of decentralized, lightning-fast payment networks on the continent. Learn how practical Bitcoin innovation is reshaping commerce and financial inclusion for Africans, by Africans. 👉 RSVP here to secure your spot: https://clooza.com/events/BTRUSTDEVELOPERDAY

Peter Tyonum, open-source contributor to Bitcoin Dev Kit (BDK), will give a presentation on bdk-cli and BDK APIs at #BtrustDeveloperDay. In this technical session, Peter will walk participants through the complete process of defining, testing, and implementing wallet policies using bdk-cli and the BDK APIs, demonstrating practical methods for building secure and flexible Bitcoin wallets. A @Btrust Builders alumnus and Btrust grantee, Peter contributes actively to the BDK project, focusing on bdk-cli, wallet APIs, and documentation. His work strengthens the tooling that developers depend on to create reliable Bitcoin applications. Beyond his open-source contributions, he is committed to Bitcoin education across Africa, participating in training programs that help new developers gain the skills needed to build within the Bitcoin ecosystem. Developers looking to deepen their understanding of Bitcoin wallet architecture and policy enforcement will find this workshop invaluable. 👉 RSVP now to secure your spot: https://clooza.com/events/BTRUSTDEVELOPERDAY

We’re excited to welcome Plebhash, @npub13s0k...5g70 grantee and active Stratum v2 contributor, who will lead an interactive workshop on Stratum V2 at #BtrustDeveloperDay. This session will put participants directly into the roles of SV2 pools and miners, running their own Bitcoin nodes and engaging in CPU mining using their own templates. All mining will take place on the same network, and the competitive twist is simple, whichever pool secures the highest hashrate wins. Plebhash will be joined by Shourya742, who is a @HRF grantee and active StratumV2 contributor, to help deliver this workshop. Through this practical exercise, attendees will gain deeper insight into how Stratum v2 operates, explore the mechanics of sovereign templates, and experience the decision-making process from both the pool and miner perspectives. 👉 RSVP here to secure your spot: https://clooza.com/events/BTRUSTDEVELOPERDAY

Duncan Dean, software engineer at Second, will give a talk on how Ark and the Lightning Network can work together to unlock new possibilities for bitcoin payments. This session will unpack Ark, a protocol designed for simple onboarding, low and predictable fees, instant payments, Lightning interoperability, and full user control, all running today without the need for covenants. Duncan will walk through bark, Second’s implementation of Ark, and show how it integrates seamlessly with Lightning, creating innovative constructs built on both protocols. Attendees will also explore how covenants, once adopted, could make Ark even more efficient and powerful, and gain a practical understanding of Virtual Transaction Outputs (VTXOs) and the future of virtual channels. Duncan’s path in open-source Bitcoin development began with contributions to Bitcoin Core before moving to Lightning Dev Kit contributions in 2021, supported by grants from Superlunar by Gemini and later Btrust. He was part of the founding faculty at the Btrust Builders program, where he helped train a new generation of African Bitcoin developers. At Second, Duncan is focused on bridging Ark and Lightning in a trustless, scalable way; building tools for fast, low-cost Bitcoin payments that push the boundaries of what Lightning can do. Learn more and RSVP to attend the #BtrustDeveloperDay here: https://clooza.com/events/BTRUSTDEVELOPERDAY

Toby Nwuba, co-founder of @Minmo will join #BtrustDeveloperDay to co-lead the workshop, build a @Tando.me in 20 minutes, alongside Isaack. Toby is a software engineer and entrepreneur focused on building open, accessible Bitcoin payment infrastructure across Africa. Before founding Minmo, he spent seven years at Goldman Sachs, where he led engineering initiatives in data platforms. His passion lies in expanding open financial access, advancing federated custody solutions, and growing developer ecosystems that encourage local innovation. With Minmo, Toby is demonstrating how Bitcoin and Lightning can transform payments in emerging markets, empowering agents and developers to create real-world solutions that bridge digital and local economies. 👉 RSVP now to secure your spot: https://clooza.com/events/BTRUSTDEVELOPERDAY

Isaack Njama, software engineer at @Minmo will lead a hands-on workshop at the #BtrustDeveloperDay. In this session, participants will discover just how quickly they can create a Tando-like bitcoin off-ramp experience using the Minmo API. Isaack will guide developers through the full process, from setting up a user and an agent, creating API keys with the right permissions, and designing a simple interface that can initiate off-ramp swaps, to understanding the escrow, settlement, and dispute tracking systems that support Minmo’s infrastructure. By the end of the workshop, attendees will have built their own functioning micro-offramp with a custom UI, connected to Minmo’s agent network and escrow system. With over four years of experience building reliable systems in TypeScript and Rust, Isaack brings deep technical expertise and a passion for community-driven development. At Minmo, he develops open-source tools that support grassroots Bitcoin adoption, and his contributions to Fedimint have advanced secure custody solutions for communities around the world. As an engineering fellow at Btrust Builders and a co-organizer of BitDevs Nairobi 🇰🇪, he works to grow the local Bitcoin developer community while making the Lightning Network and Bitcoin protocols accessible through clear, practical education. His commitment to sharing knowledge through technical writing and collaborative development ensures that his work not only builds tools, but also expands financial freedom and strengthens decentralized systems. 👉 RSVP today to secure your spot: https://clooza.com/events/BTRUSTDEVELOPERDAY

Abubakar Sadiq Ismail, software engineer, active Bitcoin Core contributor and Btrust grantee, will be joining the lightning round session. This rapid-fire Q&A brings together global contributors and African builders for a high-energy exchange of ideas. In this interactive segment, attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions about open-source contribution pathways, technical challenges, and project opportunities across the Bitcoin and Lightning ecosystems. With over three years of professional experience and ongoing contributions to Bitcoin Core, Sadiq represents a new wave of Nigerian builders driving progress within Bitcoin’s open development community. His insights from building and contributing at scale will help guide new developers in navigating technical collaboration and contribution within the Bitcoin ecosystem. Learn more and RSVP to attend the #BtrustDeveloperDay here: https://clooza.com/events/BTRUSTDEVELOPERDAY

Sulaiman Aminu Barkindo, software engineer and Btrust grantee, joins the #BtrustDeveloperDay lineup with a hands-on technical workshop. Sulaiman is currently contributing to the Validating Lightning Signer (VLS), an initiative dedicated to enhancing the security and reliability of the Bitcoin Lightning Network. His work focuses on improving HTLC security and developing disaster recovery mechanisms to ensure performance and integrity across Bitcoin’s Layer 2 scaling solutions. Through his efforts on VLS, Sulaiman is building tools that help developers run more secure and efficient Lightning nodes, while strengthening the foundations of Bitcoin’s decentralized payment infrastructure. His session will guide participants through practical steps for setting up, securing, and automating Lightning nodes, combining technical depth with an emphasis on privacy and resilience. RSVP now to secure your spot: https://clooza.com/events/BTRUSTDEVELOPERDAY

We're excited to share that we'll be sponsoring #DevFestLagos25, hosted by GDG Lagos 🇳🇬. DevFest is a global tech festival that brings together developers, tech enthusiasts, and industry leaders to learn, exchange ideas, and spark innovation. This year's edition is a five-day celebration of technology, creativity, and community, welcoming everyone from beginners to seasoned professionals. 🗓️ Date: November 18-22, 2025 📍 Venue: National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos ⏰ Time: Starts daily at 9am We'll be on ground at our booth, ready to meet you, dive into conversations around Bitcoin open-source development, and share some merch. Plus, some of our grantees and @Btrust Builders will be delivering sessions you definitely don't want to miss. Grab your tickets at devfestlagos.com and see you next week!