The Human Rights Foundation (HRF), a non-profit organization based in New York, has once again provided cryptocurrency grants to various projects worldwide. This year, the foundation awarded seven Bitcoins worth $706,000 to 20 different projects in countries that are under oppressive governments.
In a press statement, HRF announced that the funding is part of the Bitcoin Development Fund grants, which aims to support projects in different countries. The foundation highlighted that this year’s grant of over $700,000 is significantly larger than the previous funding released two years ago. In 2022, HRF granted $325,000 to global projects under the Bitcoin Development Fund Grant, making this year’s funding 217% higher.
The 20 projects worldwide received seven Bitcoins, with an estimated value of $706,000 at the time of release. These projects are located in regions such as Latin America, Asia, and Africa, where authoritarian governments rule. The funding aims to support technical education, independent media outlets, decentralizing mining, and providing human rights groups with private financial solutions.
Among the grantees is Stratum V2 Reference Implementation (SRI), an open-source software that decentralizes Bitcoin mining by enabling nodes to construct their own block templates. SRI advocates for solo mining and less reliance on large mining pools, strengthening the crypto’s permissionless and censorship-resistant qualities. The funding will support developer Bit-aloo’s full-time work on SRI, including benchmarking tools, integration tests, codebase maintenance, and software documentation.
Another grant recipient is Naiyoma, Africa’s first female Bitcoin Core developer from Kenya. Naiyoma is working to foster an open financial system rooted in transparency, freedom, and fairness. The crypto grant will support her efforts to advance Bitcoin Core development.
HRF believes in the potential of Bitcoin to fight oppressive governments and provide financial freedom to people. The foundation continues to support projects that promote human rights and empower individuals in challenging environments.
Overall, the grants provided by HRF aim to make a positive impact on communities facing oppressive regimes, promoting freedom, transparency, and fairness through the use of cryptocurrency. The foundation’s commitment to supporting these projects underscores its dedication to advancing human rights worldwide.
