₿trust Acquires Qala to Boost Bitcoin Development in Africa

In a move to decentralize Bitcoin software development, non-profit organization ₿trust has announced its acquisition of Qala, Africa’s premier training hub for budding Bitcoin and Lightning engineers. The acquisition, finalized today, will see Qala rebrand to the ₿trust Builders Programme, amplifying ₿trust’s commitment to nurturing Bitcoin open-source engineers from the Global South.

Established in 2021 with the backing of industry giants Jack Dorsey and Jay-Z, ₿trust has been at the forefront of supporting the free and open-source Bitcoin ecosystem. Under the leadership of its board of directors – Abubakar Nur Khalil, Carla Kirk-Cohen, Obi Nwosu, and Ojoma Ochai – the organization has initiated the Africa Open Source Cohort and has been a proud sponsor of the Africa Bitcoin Conference.

Qala, also founded in 2021, has been instrumental in bridging the gap between African software developers and leading global Bitcoin companies. With a presence in over 42 African countries, including Nigeria, Kenya, and Uganda, Qala boasts the continent’s largest online community of Bitcoin developers. Their alumni have secured coveted positions at renowned firms like Galoy, SphinxChat, and Bitnob, and have been recipients of open-source grants from both ₿trust and Superlunar.

Bernard Parah, Co-Founder & Director of Qala, expressed his enthusiasm about the acquisition, emphasizing the potential it holds for the African continent. “Our mission has always been to harness Bitcoin’s transformative capabilities for Africa. This acquisition not only accelerates our mission but also positions us to play a pivotal role in Bitcoin’s open-source development, addressing Africa’s unique socio-economic challenges.”

The acquisition will also see Femi Longe, CEO of Qala, and Stephanie Titcombe, Programmes Manager at Qala, stepping into new roles as Programme Leads at ₿trust Builders. The revamped ₿trust Builders programme will now pivot its focus towards open-source training, inviting senior African software developers to delve into the world of Bitcoin and Lightning development.

Ojoma Ochai, a board member at ₿trust, highlighted the alignment of both organizations’ visions. “Qala’s remarkable strides in promoting open-source development in the Global South resonate deeply with ₿trust’s core mission. We’re excited to build on Qala’s legacy and empower even more developers across the Global South.”

In a bid to further its outreach, ₿trust Builders is set to launch the ‘Build for Africa’ Hackathon in September 2023. This initiative aims to foster innovation, encouraging creators to devise solutions tailored to African challenges and bolster Bitcoin adoption across the continent. The hackathon will serve as a precursor to the Africa Bitcoin Conference scheduled for December in Accra, Ghana, which ₿trust is supporting for the second consecutive year.

For a deeper dive into the mission and vision of ₿trust Builders (previously Qala), visit https://builders.btrust.tech.