₿trust, a non-profit organization dedicated to training and funding developers from The Global South for Bitcoin open-source development, has made a significant announcement. Abubakar Nur Khalil, a Nigerian Bitcoin Core contributor and current board member, has been appointed as the Interim CEO of ₿trust.
Founded in 2021 with initial funding from Jay-Z and Jack Dorsey, ₿trust has been instrumental in nurturing a growing network of Bitcoin developers in Africa, Latin America, and India. The organization has provided training to hundreds of developers and supported projects such as Libreria de Satoshi and Bitshala. Additionally, ₿trust has played a key role in organizing BitDevs meetups across African cities and supporting events like the African Bitcoin Conference.
Nur Khalil, who will serve as Interim CEO for a year starting in August 2024, is no stranger to the organization. He originally founded the entity, known as Qala, before it was acquired and rebranded as ₿trust. With his background as a developer and his deep involvement in the African Bitcoin ecosystem, Nur Khalil is seen as a natural fit for the leadership role.
In a statement, founding ₿trust board member Obi Nwosu expressed confidence in Nur Khalil’s ability to lead the organization through its early stages. Nur Khalil’s focus as Interim CEO will be on expanding ₿trust’s developer pipeline, increasing grant distribution, and enhancing the developer program to further decentralize Bitcoin open-source development.
“I am truly grateful for the board’s trust in me to take on this role over the next year,” said Nur Khalil. “I look forward to growing our initiatives, ensuring ₿trust cements itself as the primary driving force behind Bitcoin’s development in Africa, and cultivating a unique Bitcoin FOSS ecosystem in the regions we serve.”
With Nur Khalil at the helm, ₿trust is poised to continue its mission of supporting Bitcoin development in underserved regions and fostering a vibrant open-source community.
