At Bitcoin for Fairness (BFF), we believe lasting change happens when local communities have the support they need to build for themselves. Across Africa, we have worked alongside grassroots Bitcoin educators, developers, and community leaders in countries such as Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Ghana.
Zambia has been an important part of that journey. Since 2022, BFF has supported Bitcoin education and community-building efforts in the country, working closely with local builders and educators who are helping more people understand and use Bitcoin.
In May 2026, we were proud to continue that relationship by supporting two community-led events: BitDevs Zambia’s Bitcoin OSS Campus Ignition and the Bitcoin Zambia‘s community leaders meetup, organised in partnership with Hodl Hodl.
BitDevs Zambia: Bitcoin OSS Campus Ignition
On 16 May 2026, students gathered at ZCAS University in Lusaka for the Bitcoin OSS Campus Ignition workshop, organised by BitDevs Zambia with financial support from Bitcoin for Fairness.
The initiative is part of BitDevs Zambia’s ongoing efforts to introduce university students to Bitcoin development and open-source contribution. For many attendees, it was their first real exposure to the technical side of Bitcoin and the wider opportunities within the global open-source ecosystem.
Students learned about:
• Bitcoin and the culture of open-source development
• Pathways into Bitcoin development, including programmes such as Btrust
• How to contribute to Bitcoin-related open-source projects
• Building with the Lightning Network and Bitcoin developer tools
• Career opportunities within the Bitcoin ecosystem
Participants were also introduced to tools being built locally by members of BitDevs Zambia community, including Bit2Kwacha, ZamPOS, and Sagali, a Bitcoin wallet still under development.
By engaging directly with the Information and Communication Technology Association of Zambia (ICTAZ) Student Chapter at the university, the workshop helped connect students with a growing local community of Bitcoin developers and builders.
Community Leaders Meetup
A few days later, on 19 May 2026, attention shifted from university outreach to community meetup.
The community meetup brought together Bitcoin educators and builders to discuss how local initiatives can grow and remain sustainable over the long term.
The event was organised by Bitcoin Zambia and financially supported by Bitcoin for Fairness. Hodl Hodl provided merchandise, including custom T-shirts, notebooks, and pens that were given to the attendees.
Two themes shaped the discussions. The first was sustainability. Participants shared experiences and ideas on how to build stronger Bitcoin communities, support new users, and create initiatives that can continue to grow independently.
The second was financial sovereignty through peer-to-peer trading. Attendees were introduced to Hodl Hodl, a non-custodial peer-to-peer Bitcoin marketplace. The discussion was particularly relevant for Zambian users because Hodl Hodl recently expanded support for several African currencies, including the Zambian Kwacha (ZMW), making it easier for people to buy and sell Bitcoin directly with one another.
Building on Earlier Foundations
These events, particularly the BitDevs Zambia’s Bitcoin OSS Campus Ignition, did not happen in isolation.
In March 2025, Bitcoin for Fairness supported Zambia’s first BitDevs meetup in the country, a small but important milestone for the country’s emerging Bitcoin developer community. What began as a single gathering of developers and technically curious Bitcoiners has since grown into a thriving grassroots movement.
Over the past year, BitDevs Zambia has hosted regular Socratic Seminars, organised Zambia’s first Lightning Developer Bootcamp, and created consistent spaces for developers to learn, collaborate, and contribute to Bitcoin projects. Community members have also participated in international initiatives such as the ₿OSS Challenge, won prizes in a global hackathon, Time2Build, while locally built tools like Bit2Kwacha have shown how quickly ideas can turn into working products.
The progress is also being recognised internationally. Recently, two members of BitDevs Zambia were accepted into the Mastering Bitcoin Live Cohort run by Btrust, a highly competitive programme designed to deepen Bitcoin technical expertise. In addition, one BitDevs Zambia member, Victor Chabunda, is currently a PayJoin contributor and Btrust grantee, receiving support to contribute directly to Bitcoin open-source development. Find out more about Victor’s journey from local community to global impact.
These milestones reflect a community that is steadily moving from learning about Bitcoin to actively building and contributing to the global Bitcoin ecosystem. See our earlier post on the growth of BitDevs Zambia.
The Bitcoin OSS Campus Ignition workshop and the community educators meetup are the latest steps in that journey. They reflect how early education, mentorship, and consistent community-building can open real pathways for Zambian developers and educators.
Driving a Continuous Mission Forward
These two events highlight what becomes possible when local builders are supported over time rather than in isolated moments.
One event focused on students and future developers. The other brought together community educators already shaping the ecosystem. Together, they strengthened different parts of the same foundation.
For Bitcoin for Fairness, this is part of a long-term commitment to supporting grassroots Bitcoin education and development across Africa. As more students, developers, educators, and community leaders step into the space, Zambia continues to grow as one of the region’s most active hubs for Bitcoin learning and innovation.
