Beyond Borders #10: Voices of Impact and Inspiration
Independent educators are changing the world. They unite once a month in a General Assembly of the Node Network, an initiative from My First Bitcoin, to create a thriving ecosystem…
Independent educators are changing the world. They unite once a month in a General Assembly of the Node Network, an initiative from My First Bitcoin, to create a thriving ecosystem of educators around the banner of “independent, impartial, bitcoin-only and community-led bitcoin education”. The GA from January 30 was attended by a record of 31 individuals!
Welcome to this ninth write-up of all progress that has been made in the past month. Welcome to the stories from these 12 countries!
Exciting Milestones & Ongoing Growth
”We’re thrilled to share that My First Bitcoin has now reached its third city in Indonesia! After successfully launching in Bandung and Bali, we’re expanding our Bitcoin Diploma program to Surabaya. Seeing the enthusiasm for Bitcoin education continue to grow in Indonesia is truly inspiring!
In February, we’ll kick off our second online class, providing more students with the opportunity to dive into Bitcoin education remotely. Additionally, we’re launching three new cohorts at a private university in Bandung, tailored to Indonesian students, international students, and university lecturers. What’s even more exciting? Students will earn credit points for completing MFB, making it an official part of their academic journey!
As we grow, we encourage other nodes to consider the next steps for students after completing the Bitcoin Diploma. Mapping out a structured learning path beyond MFB can help keep students engaged and deepen their knowledge.
On a personal note, it’s amazing to be back in El Salvador, though we have to admit—we’re still missing Bali a lot! ”
And now, we’re taking a giant leap from the amazing landscapes of Indonesia to the land of opportunity—the USA—for our next node!
Significant progress
”We added 10 new signups for the second cohort, which started on January 7 and will conclude on February 11. A new MPB diploma teacher is now in training to strengthen our team. To improve our delivery, we have incorporated additional videos and streamlined class time to one hour for two chapters, allowing for more discussion, reflection, and review.
Our social media presence is a key focus, with increased content from our events, classes, and outreach, including reels and short videos. We have also started offering individualized cold storage education.
In Denver, we met with the local Bitcoin community to collaborate on bringing MPB to their region and are assisting them in the approval process. Additionally, we are working on getting the first local church to accept Bitcoin donations.
These steps are all part of our ongoing efforts to enhance education, strengthen the community, and drive adoption.”
From the USA, our journey now takes us to the heart of Bitcoin adoption. Next stop: Bitcoin Country El Salvador!
Expanding Bitcoin education and community engagement
”The Bitcoin Diploma 2025 has officially launched, along with the public release of the Intro Course. We have started teaching three new Bitcoin Diploma groups online for the local community in El Salvador and one group in Costa Rica. At the same time, we are recording the intro class to be available as a self-paced course on the LMS, starting with a Spanish version.
To broaden our reach, we are developing an impact plan to open more schools in El Salvador. As part of this effort, we created a leaflet to support outreach, which we plan to make open-source on GitHub if it proves effective.
So far, we have completed four online intro groups and two in-person groups. Our in-person education efforts are also expanding with the hiring of new teachers—five candidates have been selected, and onboarding and training will take place in early February.
Starting in February, we will host bi-weekly game nights at the MPB house in El Salvador, with one-hour intro classes beforehand for attendees. We are also working on an editable PDF for translations to streamline accessibility.
Looking ahead, our team is actively planning the next Unconference and developing a strategy to organize more meetups across El Salvador, ensuring that Bitcoin education continues to grow and reach new communities.”
Leaving behind the vibrant energy of Bitcoin Country, El Salvador, our journey now takes us to Nigeria—a growing hub of Bitcoin adoption and innovation. The mission continues!
”We are gearing up to launch the first cohort of the Bitcoin Diploma at Bitcoin Anambra in early March. Planning is already underway, and we are in discussions with potential tutors to ensure a strong foundation for the course.
While we have a list of tutors, we believe that those who have previously taken, taught, or are currently teaching the course will bring the best understanding and experience. If you’re interested in becoming a tutor, let us know—we’d love to connect and make it happen.”
After an incredible stop in Nigeria with Bitcoin Anambra, our journey now takes us to Haiti—where the next node is ready to grow. Onward!
”We have successfully graduated 15 students from our very first cohort and are excited to begin our second cohort soon. Interest in the program is growing, and we anticipate welcoming even more students this time.
To strengthen our resources, we have printed the Creole version of the Bitcoin Diploma, and the full PDF is now available on the YesBitcoinHaiti GitHub repository. Additionally, one of our team members will be participating in a teacher training program with Huxley to enhance our instructional approach.
One of the challenges we are working to address is merchant adoption. Many businesses hesitate to accept Bitcoin because they need a reliable way to off-ramp into gourde to restock their inventory. We are actively exploring solutions to support them.
For new nodes, we’ve found that it’s essential to clearly outline the criteria for earning the diploma early in the course to set proper expectations.
We also had the opportunity to send a representative, D’Jovanny, to the Bitcoin Beach Circular Economy Summit. He gained valuable insights and brought back important information to help us continue growing our initiative. If you saw him there, we hope you had a chance to connect!”
From the vibrant streets of Haiti, our journey now takes us back to the USA—this time to Bitcoin Bismarck, where the next node is building momentum.
Steady progress in strengthening our local Bitcoin education efforts and community engagement
”We have been working closely with a small business owner who has attended multiple classes, helping them enhance their social media presence, networking, and marketing strategies. Our 2025 cohort registration is open via Google Forms, but we are still working on increasing participation.
To improve our learning environment, we are moving to The Innovation Barn, a modern space with a conference room for 12 people and room to grow. The first class at this new location is expected to take place on Saturday, February 22, and we are considering holding future classes on the fourth Saturday of each month.
Building strong local connections remains a priority. We have also reached out about presenting in the future, as it provides a valuable platform for feedback and engagement.
Our Facebook page has proven useful in reaching the local community, with people messaging us for more information. To keep costs manageable, we are printing workbooks with color covers and black-and-white pages, which is more affordable than full-color printing.
So far in 2024, we have successfully completed 10 classes, with an average attendance of 2-4 students per session. This week, we finished MFB Chapter 3 with a student from the local college Bitcoin Club and were invited back for Financial Wellness Week.
Looking ahead to 2025, we want to focus on retention, networking events, and community building.”
After an inspiring stop in Bismarck, our journey now takes us to Suriname—where Bitcoin Sranan is driving education and adoption. A new chapter begins!
”On January 21, we celebrated our first cohort graduation for Mi Primer Bitcoin and Trezor Academy during our meet-up. From this group, we gained a new teacher, bringing our team to three educators committed to expanding Bitcoin education.
Our mission continues as we prepare to launch our second cohort in February. In addition, we are organizing Bitcoin classes for local soccer teams, including a U-20 male team, a senior male team, and an all-female team. We are also reaching out to an academy that may be interested in integrating Mi Primer Bitcoin into their curriculum.
To keep engagement high, we are refining our approach by shortening class time, ensuring students stay actively involved through post-class discussions, and keeping them updated on the latest Bitcoin developments.”
Our journey now takes us north to Canada!
”We are actively working on securing a physical space, with plans to sign a lease in February. In preparation for our first cohort, we are compiling resources to ensure a strong start, integrating Mi Primer Bitcoin, BTC Pay Server, and NodeAcademy.org courses.
Additionally, we are open to supporting the MPB Vancouver event in August.”
From the snowy landscapes of Canada, our journey now takes us across continents to the unique energy of India.
Expanding Bitcoin education and community engagement across India
”We recently introduced the Bitcoin Diploma to two local schools, and we will soon be running cohorts at one school and one college. Over the holidays, we also conducted a Bitcoin and remittance workshop for Goans living abroad who returned for Christmas.
Our first Trezor Academy course is now complete, and one of our graduates is eager to intern part-time with us. We also hosted two local Bitcoin meetups, and one restaurant now prefers payments in sats.
To strengthen grassroots efforts, we are building a nationwide Bitcoin community network, with leaders from 12 citiesalready on board, and we are establishing monthly meetups across India. A webpage is in the works to showcase our events, courses, and workshops.
We are also forming strategic partnerships—collaborating with Bitcoincierge to onboard HNIs to self-custody and seeking partners for hardware wallets and Bitcoin exchanges. Additionally, we are supporting a Bitcoin tourism sandbox project and planning a Dev + Pleb unconference in Goa alongside Bitshala (Bangalore).
Our outreach efforts continue, and we are looking for Bitcoin companies to sponsor a local rugby academy and an upcoming national tournament. To improve engagement, we are shifting focus towards social media video contentrather than relying on posters alone.
Some exciting developments include our new logo, the launch of a Hindi YouTube channel by a graduate from our second cohort, and another graduate volunteering to lead presentations and workshops in schools and colleges. We also orange-pilled the founder of a startup accelerator, who will now include our Bitcoin workshop in their Impact Founders course.
The momentum is growing, and we are committed to strengthening Bitcoin education and adoption across India.”
From the bustling streets of India, our journey now takes us southward to the heart of Africa—South Africa.
”We have successfully onboarded teachers at our local primary school and will now be hosting monthly meetups to exchange knowledge and ideas.
Our efforts to expand into more schools continue, with ongoing meetings to increase our impact. We believe that networking is essential for Bitcoin nodes, as sharing ideas, motivation, and support helps strengthen the community—especially for those who may feel they aren’t doing enough.
We also recently hosted a successful conference, and we are grateful to everyone who attended and supported us. For those who couldn’t be there, we truly appreciate your contributions. Your support makes a difference!”
”We kicked off the year with our first meetup, setting the stage for an exciting 2025. Our fourth cohort begins on February 7, marking the start of an ambitious year ahead.
Our goal this year is to educate over 100 students and run eight cohorts—more than double last year’s efforts. In addition to education, we are focused on onboarding new merchants and strengthening the circular economy by encouraging Bitcoin Diploma graduates to start accepting Bitcoin in their businesses.
To support this expansion, we welcomed a new team member as an Adoption Merchant Manager. Additionally, we have made Bitcoin education more accessible by translating the “My First Bitcoin” workbook into three major languages in Zambia.
With a strong plan in place, we are excited for the year ahead and the impact we will continue to make!”
From the heart of Africa in Zambia, our journey now takes us back to the United States to Operation Bitcoin.
”Our online cohort launches tonight with 49 veterans enrolled, marking another step forward in expanding Bitcoin education.
Meanwhile, our VECTR sessions continue, with this week’s session reaching a record-high enrollment of 19 in-person veteran students. The growing interest highlights the increasing demand for Bitcoin knowledge within the community.
We are also exploring Donor Advised Funds as a valuable avenue for funding support.
More people are now traveling to the U.S. to learn about Bitcoin, reflecting a shift in our role—from having to convince people to becoming trusted, knowledgeable informers guiding them on their Bitcoin journey.”
If you are a community leader and bitcoin educator and want to be part of the Node Network, check out our GitHub page.
If you want to use our open source Bitcoin Diploma workbook, you can! It’s available on GitHub as well.
For any questions about the Node Network or any other international collaboration, feel free to reach out to Arnold Hubach ([email protected]).
