Bitcoin builder climbs Africa's tallest mountain to raise awareness

A Bitcoin (BTC) pedagogue based successful Tanzania has scaled Africa’s highest peak, Kilimanjaro, sponsoring the full travel done Bitcoin and Nostr donations.

Kweks poses with a Bitcoin and NOSTR Flag astatine Kilimanjaro summit. Source: X

Kweks, (not his existent name) crowdfunded implicit $1,700 successful Bitcoin (0.0018 BTC) to screen the costs of the hike, which doubled up arsenic an announcement for a caller Bitcoin acquisition academy successful Tanzania.

“Kweks” precocious moved with his woman to a caller metropolis successful Tanzania to unfastened a learning center, the “Proof of Work Academy,” oregon POWA. Kweks told Cointelegraph that portion POWA is simply a pun connected Bitcoin’s statement protocol, proof-of-work, it besides refers to the Zwahili connection “Poah,” which means caller oregon cool.

To beforehand the caller schoolhouse and subtly hint astatine his affinity for decentralized protocols, including Bitcoin and Nostr (Notes and Other Stuff Transmitted by Relay), Kweks funded the ascent to astir 6,000 meters successful Satoshis oregon "Sats" (a satoshi is simply a portion of a bitcoin, adjacent to 100 millionth of a bitcoin).

Bitcoin Lightning Network donations streamed successful from each astir the satellite via crowdfunding connected Geyser Fund and done Zapraising, oregon Bitcoin Lightning Network crowdfunding via NOSTR, (also called Zaps.)

The infinitesimal Kweks reached the fundraising milestone. Source: X

Kweks carried and waved a elephantine Nostr emblem portion sharing presumption updates passim the multi-day hike connected X, Nostr and WhatsApp. Speaking from Tanzania, Kweks explained to Cointelegraph that portion the wealth raised was meaningful to screen the costs of getting into the National Park, the interaction was chiefly educational:

“I thought it [the ascent] would beryllium a large lawsuit survey to amusement what Bitcoin tin bash and past present immoderate radical to Bitcoin arsenic well.”

The ascent demonstrated to his section assemblage that a planetary basal of Nostriches (users of Nostr), and generous Bitcoin advocates astir the satellite were blessed to enactment Kweks’ ascent and acquisition enactment connected the crushed successful Tanzania.

Plus, Kweks received a extremity from 1 of the guides starring the enactment to the acme of “Kili”, arsenic it's known locally, showing that determination is grassroots Bitcoin adoption successful Tanzania.

There is, evidently, immoderate knowing of Bitcoin successful Tanzania, Kweks explained—but 1 of the cardinal challenges is “offramps,” into section currency. The likes of Coinbase, Kraken, and Gemini bash not run successful Tanzania, truthful swapping currency for Bitcoin and vice versa tin beryllium challenging.

Over the people of the hike, Kweks received questions and funny comments from Tanzanians astir however helium funded the escapade arsenic good arsenic the inevitable query, “What is Bitcoin?”.

Ultimately, Bitcoin adoption successful Tanzania is precise antithetic from the United Kingdom, wherever Kweks spent 25 years of his beingness anterior to moving to Tanzania.

Related: Hashing It Out: What happens erstwhile crypto meets fintech successful Africa?

There is, helium explains, much of a barter strategy successful spot successful East Africa. It tin beryllium a situation to explicate wealth and hyperinflation and the reasons wherefore a currency with a programmed ostentation rate, specified arsenic Bitcoin could connection an alternate economical strategy to society.

“When I arrived successful Tanzania 10 years ago, $1 was 1500 100 Tanzanian Shillings. As of today, [$1 equals] 2600. That's 10 years later. It's crazy!”

Ultimately, the cardinal to unlocking Bitcoin acquisition is to usage presumption applicable to people: “I bash talk to them astir however overmuch breadstuff is going up and however overmuch substance is going up, and they recognize that,” Kweks explained.

“They spot that it's harder to marque ends meet. So with these concepts, they recognize that Bitcoin the instrumentality tin assistance them—and that's the work. That's the enactment that needs to beryllium shared and explored.”

Kweks continues to station and stock acquisition resources connected Nostr and X, portion the acquisition assets POWA offers escaped acquisition classes to Tanzanians based adjacent Kilimanjaro.

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