0.9 abcpt26 2026-01-30 2026-01-31 2 00:05 https://pretalx.com Africa/Johannesburg Machankura Talk 2026-01-30T09:00:00+02:00 09:00 00:10 Opening Remarks abcpt26-88565-opening-remarks Machankura Stage Kgothatso NgakoHermann Buhr Vivier en Opening Remarks false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/TRMY7H/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/TRMY7H/feedback/ Machankura Talk 2026-01-30T09:15:00+02:00 09:15 00:20 If you've ever felt powerless watching your savings erode, your voice silenced and your privacy infringed, this session shows you there's an exit - and how to take it. abcpt26-88201-building-agency-how-bitcoin-and-decentralized-tech-restore-people-s-power Machankura Stage Anita en Anita's talk explores how centralized institutions increasingly fail ordinary people through inflation, surveillance, and censorship. Opting out isn't just philosophical resistance - it's a technical reality. From sovereign money to censorship-resistant communication and privacy-preserving AI, learn how these tools restore individual agency in an age of institutional decline. false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/DHZ38Y/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/DHZ38Y/feedback/ Machankura Talk 2026-01-30T09:40:00+02:00 09:40 00:20 Stafford Masie abcpt26-88567-africa-bitcoin-corporation Machankura Stage Stafford Masie en Stafford Masie false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/VJXRS7/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/VJXRS7/feedback/ Machankura Panel 2026-01-30T10:05:00+02:00 10:05 00:40 Blockchain Surveillance & Privacy abcpt26-88553-blockchain-surveillance-privacy Machankura Stage /media/abcpt26/submissions/3R799G/Gemini_Generated_Image_j0v1_LScb4Uc.webp Carel de JagerCarel van WykRiccardo Spagni en Bitcoin’s transparent ledger has enabled powerful blockchain surveillance tools, intensified regulatory scrutiny, and deep disagreement about privacy and state oversight. This panel brings together sharply different perspectives to examine whether surveillance is an inevitable consequence of transparency, a necessary regulatory tool, or a fundamental threat to Bitcoin’s purpose. The discussion aims to leave the audience with a clearer mental model of what Bitcoin privacy really means, who it serves, and where the limits of state involvement should lie. false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/3R799G/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/3R799G/feedback/ Machankura Talk 2026-01-30T10:55:00+02:00 10:55 00:20 David Ansara will share insights from a report by the Free Market Foundation launched this week entitled 'State-Proof Money: The Case for Bitcoin Adoption in South Africa' abcpt26-88558-why-you-should-state-proof-yourself Machankura Stage David Ansara en In South Africa, persistent statist policies, economic interventionism, and state dysfunction have long eroded personal and economic freedom. The Free Market Foundation (FMF) advocates for state-proofing – building resilient, voluntary systems outside government control to mitigate hostile policy and state failure. David Ansara will explore how Bitcoin is a practical instrument of state-proofing that separates money from state and empowers citizens. false FMF report: 'State-Proof Money: The Case for Bitcoin Adoption in South Africa' https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/TFPA7L/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/TFPA7L/feedback/ Machankura Talk 2026-01-30T11:20:00+02:00 11:20 00:20 Trezor Academy: bitcoin education for the Global Majority. Highlights, challenges, 2026 plans. abcpt26-88220-trezor-academy-update Machankura Stage /media/abcpt26/submissions/MPMU9Y/ta_logo_color_OxiB8YJ_mpypfDf.webp Josef Tětek en Trezor Academy has been actively contributing to bitcoin education in Africa and Latin America since 2023. What are the program's successes and challenges? What are the plans for 2026? false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/MPMU9Y/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/MPMU9Y/feedback/ Machankura Talk 2026-01-30T11:45:00+02:00 11:45 00:20 We must develop strategies for thriving when the state fails, but also when the state does not fail - when it deploys malicious power effectively. abcpt26-88501-when-states-don-t-fail Machankura Stage Russell Lamberti en This talk will show how even weak and incompetent states can mount sustained and effective attacks on productive society, explain Sakeliga's strategy to deal with these attacks, look at lessons in this from Bitcoin, and challenge the Bitcoin community to embrace and cultivate alternative centres of authority and power to check the designs of the total state. false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/Z37PGL/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/Z37PGL/feedback/ Machankura Talk 2026-01-30T12:10:00+02:00 12:10 00:20 The session reframes Bitcoin mining not as speculation, but as productive digital infrastructure — particularly relevant to Southern Africa’s energy challenges and opportunities. Using real-world examples and Braiins’ experience supporting miners globally, the talk will explore how Bitcoin mining can help monetize surplus and renewable energy, support private power generation, stabilize grids, and create skilled jobs — with specific reference to South Africa, Zambia, and the broader SADC region. abcpt26-87969-bitcoin-mining-as-critical-infrastructure Machankura Stage Dr Laban Mwansa en Southern Africa faces a defining challenge of our time: abundant energy potential constrained by grid instability, underutilized generation, and limited access to global capital. From load-shedding in Zambia, South Africa to surplus hydro and renewables elsewhere in the region, the question is no longer whether energy exists — but how it can be effectively monetized. This session reframes Bitcoin mining as critical digital infrastructure, rather than speculation. Bitcoin mining operates as a flexible, location-agnostic buyer of energy, capable of monetizing surplus and renewable power, supporting private generation, and converting local electricity into globally traded digital value. Drawing on real-world deployments and operational insights from emerging markets, the talk explores how mining can contribute to grid resilience, skilled job creation, and foreign-currency revenue generation across South Africa, Zambia, and the wider Southern African region. The session also addresses the importance of transparency, open systems, and responsible regulation in ensuring mining delivers long-term public benefit. Attendees will leave with a practical, grounded understanding of how Bitcoin mining can support Africa’s energy transition while strengthening economic and financial sovereignty. false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/HJLSWZ/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/HJLSWZ/feedback/ Machankura Fireside Chat 2026-01-30T13:10:00+02:00 13:10 00:30 Artists' Panel abcpt26-87831-artists-bitcoin Machankura Stage Nikolai Okin TjongareroMelanie Carstens en Artists' Panel false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/WTCVT9/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/WTCVT9/feedback/ Machankura Talk 2026-01-30T13:45:00+02:00 13:45 00:20 Every successful adoption story is built on community, trust, education and simple tools. Education for Bitcoin adoption happens when a trusted community leader, bitcoiner or educator talks to a friend, colleague, or family member and gets them to also install a Bitcoin wallet to make their first Bitcoin transaction. True adoption occurs when that friend independently and consistently starts utilizing Bitcoin, on their own. At Minmo we build tools that empower community leaders, educators and human agents to professionalize their services in providing access to Bitcoin in communities. abcpt26-86968-minmo-for-bitcoin-adoption-in-communities Machankura Stage /media/abcpt26/submissions/8TTL8T/Minmo-Serve-Community_2glav_HkkYdtW.webp Nombuyiselo Teresa MurageJodom (okjodom) en This talk will cover: * What Bitcoin Adoption means, and observed patterns of successful Bitcoin Adoption, from our perspective * How existing wallets, tools and models like Circular Economies impact Bitcoin adoption * How the new tools we are building at Minmo can accelerate Bitcoin adoption in Africa and beyond false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/8TTL8T/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/8TTL8T/feedback/ Machankura Talk 2026-01-30T14:10:00+02:00 14:10 00:20 We live in unsettling times. The global order is being reshaped at breakneck speed. Old certainties are being thrown overboard and many cherished and comforting delusions are not surviving contact with hard reality. Where is this journey taking us? And what's the role of Bitcoin in all this? abcpt26-88562-the-end-of-this-is-fine Machankura Stage John Endres en The world is currently being forced to shed some comfortable delusions and confront some hard truths. Among the most important is the delusion that talk is as good as action and that if you just wish for something hard enough you will get it – visualise something and you will manifest it. Or, in government language, legislate for it and it will happen. It turns out that this is not true. The hard edges of the world are reasserting themselves - and Bitcoin could play a central role in the future that is now being shaped. false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/DLWSLM/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/DLWSLM/feedback/ Machankura Talk 2026-01-30T14:35:00+02:00 14:35 00:20 Soweto, a historic centre of resistance with 1.7 million residents, continues to face severe socio-economic challenges in 2025, including systemic unemployment and financial exclusion. This presentation introduces SowetoBTC, a non-profit initiative that leverages Bitcoin education to drive economic sovereignty. The session will analyse how Bitcoin financial literacy and practical training empower local youth to access the global digital economy and enable small businesses (SMEs) to bypass traditional banking barriers. By examining current Bitcoin adoption trends within Soweto's informal sectors, this presentation argues that Bitcoin is a modern form of resistance against economic inequality. Attendees will gain actionable insights into building sustainable circular economies within marginalized communities. abcpt26-87622-the-new-1976-transforming-soweto-s-economy-through-bitcoin-education Machankura Stage Michael Rathebe en This session explores the practical application of Bitcoin, in a community historically marginalised from traditional banking systems. We detail the educational framework used by SowetoBTC to deliver essential financial literacy and practical skills training. Key focus areas include: Empowering Youth: Strategies for integrating youth into the global digital economy. Supporting SMEs: Methods for small businesses to reduce reliance on conventional financial infrastructure. Building Circular Economies: Case studies from Soweto illustrating how local transactions using Bitcoin foster sustainable growth and individual financial sovereignty. Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of how targeted Bitcoin education can transform systemic hardships into tangible economic opportunities. false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/H7J97B/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/H7J97B/feedback/ Machankura Talk 2026-01-30T15:00:00+02:00 15:00 00:20 Consensus Under Attack: When the World Forks and the Screens Agree If media can simulate war, the real battleground is what we collectively finalize as truth. abcpt26-88552-consensus-under-attack-when-the-world-forks-and-the-screens-agree Machankura Stage Beverley Schäfer en Consensus Under Attack: When the World Forks and the Screens Agree If media can simulate war, the real battleground is what we collectively finalize as truth. false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/L787QU/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/L787QU/feedback/ Machankura Talk 2026-01-30T15:25:00+02:00 15:25 00:20 As bitcoin adoption accelerates, accounting for payments is the next hurdle for serious builders and users. Most early adopters rely on spreadsheets for tracking and reporting which is time consuming, and limits their ability to generate proper financial reporting. I share real-world lessons of circular economies who have benefited in fundamental ways as they have adopted bitcoin accounting, integrated with their payment layers to really use and see bitcoin as a unit of account. abcpt26-84956-bitcoin-accounting-systems-enabling-unit-of-account-adoption Machankura Stage Roark Janis en As bitcoin adoption accelerates, accounting for payments is the next hurdle for serious builders and users. Most early adopters rely on spreadsheets for tracking and reporting which is time consuming, and limits their ability to generate proper financial reporting. I share real-world lessons of circular economies who have benefited in fundamental ways as they have adopted bitcoin accounting, integrated with their payment layers to really use and see bitcoin as a unit of account. false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/DVSN9J/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/DVSN9J/feedback/ Machankura Panel 2026-01-30T15:50:00+02:00 15:50 00:30 We were told 2025 would be the year of the 'Mega-Moon,' but the charts stayed stubbornly horizontal. Why was that 'failure' Bitcoin’s greatest success? We’re moving beyond the bull run to look at the real-world plumbing being built right now." abcpt26-88175-beyond-the-bull-run Machankura Stage Ricki AllardiceHermann Buhr VivierNikolai Okin TjongareroGavin Green en Tech – In the bear market, we build. Price was sideways while L2 development and transaction volume went vertical. A solution to miner centralisation is in play. Freedom Money – You Can’t Stop Us Focus on circular economies and the Nostr Summer explosion in Africa Institutions – The Silent Takeover Discuss SA banking entering the bitcoin space and approval of regulatory licenses. Geopolitics – I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore, Toto. Fragmenting alliances – Does Bitcoin fix this? 2026–2027 Outlook Looking ahead to the end of the "4-year cycle" theory. "If 2025 taught us anything, it’s that the price is a distraction from the progress. The best time to build is now." false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/89TZB3/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/89TZB3/feedback/ Machankura Talk 2026-01-30T16:25:00+02:00 16:25 00:20 It’s been 15 years since Bitcoin came in to existence, but the world is still completely unprepared for it. That includes Bitcoiners. abcpt26-78517-the-world-is-still-completely-unprepared-for-bitcoin Machankura Stage Benjamin de Waal en Abstractions, analogies, and shorthand descriptions around Bitcoin mean not only that we're often teaching people the wrong things about Bitcoin, but in many cases we're contributing towards actively building a world that isn't ready for it. From contradictions in terminology through to regulatory nightmares, I'll dive in to how and why we're unprepared, and what we can do to change that. false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/SWEVNF/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/SWEVNF/feedback/ Machankura Talk 2026-01-30T16:50:00+02:00 16:50 00:20 Use Orange Announcement. abcpt26-89817-orange Machankura Stage Ricki Allardice en Use Orange Announcement. false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/EWQXRR/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/EWQXRR/feedback/ Machankura Talk 2026-01-30T17:15:00+02:00 17:15 00:20 Bitcoin is a public ledger. That transparency enables self-custody and auditability, but it also creates real privacy pitfalls once you reuse addresses, merge coins, or interact with custodians. In this talk I’ll explain what “blockchain analytics” can and cannot infer from on-chain data, why common heuristics produce false positives, and what practical habits reduce unnecessary data leakage. I’ll also explain how Sixpence structures full-node data into accounting-grade reporting. Goal: help Bitcoiners protect themselves, and help businesses/regulators avoid decisions based on bad data. abcpt26-89446-bitcoin-data-privacy-and-the-real-world Machankura Stage /media/abcpt26/submissions/BGDUJA/Logo1b_OQvygEM_4ntsGLU_cZmrvhx.webp Carel de Jager en Sixpence builds infrastructure that turns raw blockchain data into structured, queryable records for real-world use cases: audits, proof-of-reserves style checks, incident response after theft/scams, and financial reporting. Because this conference is full of people who care deeply about privacy, I’ll be direct about trade-offs: • What on-chain data actually reveals (and what it doesn’t) • Why clustering and change-detection are probabilistic, and where they fail • Where “identity attribution” really comes from (usually off-chain) • How poor analytics leads to poor policy and collateral damage I’ll then share practical, non-evasion privacy hygiene for Bitcoin users (data minimisation, wallet practices, avoiding common linkage mistakes). If you’re a Bitcoiner: you’ll leave with a clearer threat model. If you’re building with Bitcoin: you’ll see what “accounting-grade” transaction data looks like and why it matters. false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/BGDUJA/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/BGDUJA/feedback/ Blink Talk 2026-01-30T10:50:00+02:00 10:50 00:20 **Finance** is a word many Bitcoiners instinctively avoid. Yet personal finance — and finance in general — shapes our daily lives, decisions, our stress levels, and our long-term freedom. In this talk, I aim to redeem the word “finance” and show why Bitcoin education is incomplete without it. We’ll start with the basics that every Bitcoiner, beginner or advanced, should understand: budgeting, saving, debt management, estate planning and building financial resilience. Then we zoom out to the macro picture, where a historic shift is underway. Wall Street is adopting Bitcoin — whether us Bitcoiners like it or not, and whether Wall Street likes it or not. From ETFs to corporate treasuries, Bitcoin is moving from the edges of finance into its center. By connecting personal financial literacy with global macro trends, this talk equips educators and community leaders to teach Bitcoin more holistically and empower people not just to hold bitcoin, but to build stable financial lives around it. abcpt26-85925-bitcoin-the-f-word Blink Stage Josue (Josh) Vazquez en Bitcoiners often talk about self-custody, decentralization, and monetary freedom — but rarely about “**finance**,” a word that feels too fiat, too traditional, or too tied to systems Bitcoin seeks to replace. Yet the reality is simple: personal finance decisions influence how much Bitcoin people can save, how long they can hold it, and whether they panic-sell when life gets stressful. At the same time, global finance is undergoing a dramatic transformation as Wall Street institutions gradually (then suddenly) adopt Bitcoin. This session bridges these two worlds. First, we explore core personal finance principles that every Bitcoin educator should integrate into their teaching: * building emergency reserves * becoming debt-free in an inflationary world that worships Keynes * understanding low time preference basic concepts * mitigating taxation * retiring on BTC * estate planning for true generational BTC wealth Next, we zoom out to the macro landscape, where Bitcoin is increasingly being absorbed into the financial system through ETFs, corporate balance sheets, and institutional products. We'll discuss how Bitcoin as a trojan horse is now inside the walls of Wall Street and how it will slowly change the debt ridden world we live in, into a more sustainable and abundant world backed by BTC. Attendees will leave with a framework for how to become even more financially sovereign and how to teach this discipline to others. They will also get a current run down of Bitcoin adoption on Wall Street and what we can expect if trends continue to accelerate. false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/JJ3XC9/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/JJ3XC9/feedback/ Blink Talk 2026-01-30T11:15:00+02:00 11:15 00:20 Bitcoin adoption faces a critical bottleneck: the confusing first encounter most newcomers have with our ecosystem. Too often, people's introduction to Bitcoin comes through trading platforms that present it as speculative investment rather than revolutionary money. This talk explores the typical newbie journey—from initial skepticism about "Bitcoin as a scam" to the overwhelming complexity of existing platforms—and presents actionable strategies for creating frictionless onboarding experiences. Drawing from real-world experience building user-centric Bitcoin infrastructure, The session covers practical approaches to orange-pilling skeptical audiences, designing intuitive experiences, and building platforms that connect people directly to Bitcoin without unnecessary complexity. Through lessons learned from Bitika's approach to simplified Bitcoin access, attendees will gain concrete strategies for improving adoption in their communities and projects. abcpt26-88854-simplifying-bitcoin-onboarding-for-the-next-billion Blink Stage Fidel Otieno en Most people's first Bitcoin encounter happens through the wrong door—trading platforms that frame it as speculation, get-rich-quick schemes, or sensationalized scam warnings. This broken first impression creates lasting barriers to adoption. This talk addresses how we can fix Bitcoin onboarding by understanding the newbie journey and implementing practical solutions. The problem is systemic—traditional platforms prioritize trading over education, overwhelming newcomers with unnecessary complexity when they simply want access to better money. The solution requires reimagining how we introduce Bitcoin. Key principles include simplicity first, education over speculation, user-centric design that meets people where they are, and eliminating friction at every step. I'll share specific strategies for orange-pilling skeptical audiences, including how to address "Bitcoin is a scam" objections with empathy and clear value propositions focused on Bitcoin's monetary properties rather than price speculation. Drawing from Bitika's real-world approach, I'll demonstrate how these principles translate into practice through intuitive interface design, progressive educational pathways, trust-building through transparency, and measuring success by actual adoption rather than trading volume. Attendees will learn practical frameworks for improving their own Bitcoin products, education initiatives, and community building efforts. This matters urgently as Bitcoin enters its next adoption phase. We have one chance to make the right first impression with each newcomer. By prioritizing clarity over complexity and understanding over hype, we can accelerate Bitcoin's path to becoming global money and empower the next billion users. false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/CWTFR3/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/CWTFR3/feedback/ Blink Talk 2026-01-30T11:40:00+02:00 11:40 00:20 Volatility is a holding risk, not a settlement risk. Mavapay’s talk covers the shift from speculative Bitcoin to functional Bitcoin infrastructure. abcpt26-88568-the-invisible-rail-why-lightning-is-winning-the-african-settlement-race Blink Stage Theophilus Isah en For years, volatility was the primary argument against Bitcoin in cross-border trade. Today, the narrative has shifted. Join Mavapay as we demonstrate how the Lightning Network has become the premier interoperable layer for instant settlement between South Africa and Nigeria. Learn how we are bypassing fragmented stablecoin chains and high-fee legacy systems to build Africa’s neutral, real-time financial rail. false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/7AMHJP/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/7AMHJP/feedback/ Blink Talk 2026-01-30T12:05:00+02:00 12:05 00:20 Meet Eve. 22 months ago, she walked into our program as a participating mother, looking for support for her newborn. Today, she runs the show. This isn't a tech talk; it's a story about the ultimate low time preference: raising a child. Eve shares how we combine Bitcoin education with essential life skills—from infant nutrition to budgeting—to help mothers retain value in their work and build a future for the next generation. abcpt26-85898-proof-of-motherhood-the-ultimate-low-time-preference Blink Stage /media/abcpt26/submissions/RBDHYW/DSC_3735-300x231_T5UVADo_uS8o9pp.webp Everlyn Macharia en Eighteen months ago, Eve joined the Bitcoin Babies Foundation as a new mother looking for guidance. She participated in our program, learning everything from infant nutrition to financial basics. But her journey didn't end there; it was just the beginning. In this session, Eve shares how she grew from a participant into a key team member, eventually becoming our Program Manager. She now holds full responsibility for the programs we run. She manages the year planning, invites and coordinates guest speakers, and actively composes the curriculum to ensure the next group of mothers gets the best possible start. Eve represents exactly what we stand for: the ability to do what you are good at and retain the value of that work. She will discuss how taking these steps has allowed her to upgrade her life and, most importantly, provide a better future for her child. Her story is not an advertisement; it is a practical example of how individual growth and responsibility create real freedom. false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/RBDHYW/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/RBDHYW/feedback/ Blink Talk 2026-01-30T13:10:00+02:00 13:10 00:20 Examining the differences in what "merchant adoption" means around the world. abcpt26-78516-practical-merchant-adoption-a-global-perspective Blink Stage Benjamin de Waal en In Cape Town, San Salvador, Prague, London, New York, and all over the world there are merchants that have "adopted Bitcoin". But what does that mean? When we say that a merchant has adopted Bitcoin, it can mean very different things in different places. Here I'll dive in to different perspectives on Bitcoin adoption, what it means to different people, and what we can learn from these different viewpoints. false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/EDR7CR/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/EDR7CR/feedback/ Blink Fireside Chat 2026-01-30T14:00:00+02:00 14:00 00:35 Bitcoin Self Custody Fireside abcpt26-88734-bitcoin-self-custody-fireside Blink Stage Craig RawCole Tuckett en Bitcoin Self Custody Fireside false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/J3BHLL/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/J3BHLL/feedback/ Blink Talk 2026-01-30T14:40:00+02:00 14:40 00:20 Turning Stranded Power into Extra Revenue: Report of a Proof of Concept on a South African Farm abcpt26-88846-turning-stranded-power-into-extra-revenue Blink Stage /media/abcpt26/submissions/QLRRRK/Screenshot_2026-01-28_14564_s1tVNUb.webp Jesse Pielke en Turning Stranded Power into Extra Revenue: Report of a Proof of Concept on a South African Farm true https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/QLRRRK/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/QLRRRK/feedback/ Blink Talk 2026-01-30T15:05:00+02:00 15:05 00:15 Bitcoin Sisonke(we're together in Isizulu) is pioneering a grassroot bitcoin circular economy through innovative model that combines education, gamification and real world utility, we gonna share a our journey of creating a closed loop bitcoin ecosystem where community members ear Satoshis through educational courses and meet up attendance and spend it at local merchants. abcpt26-87230-bitcoin-sisonke Blink Stage Retshepile en Bitcoin Sisonke is project that started early 2025 that takes bottom up approach rooted in empowerment and practical economic utility. Operating in a South African township where traditional financial systems often fail, we've effectively built a multi layered adoption strategy that addresses the full cycle of Bitcoin adoption: awereness, education, acquisition, spending and saving false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/7ELVKV/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/7ELVKV/feedback/ Blink Talk 2026-01-30T15:25:00+02:00 15:25 00:20 This talk shares the key lessons I’ve learned from actively spending Bitcoin across South Africa after launching BitcoinFriendlySA, a platform that helps people spend and accept Bitcoin with confidence. By documenting merchants, writing Bitcoin spending guides, meeting industry players like MoneyBadger, and using Bitcoin myself, I shifted from seeing it mainly as digital gold to understanding it also as real money for everyday spending and saving. After briefly covering how Bitcoin payments work in South Africa, the talk explores what actually happens at the till: why Bitcoin spending is still early, how invisible QR-code payments slow adoption, and why many Bitcoiners hesitate to spend due to volatility concerns, HODL culture, and tax friction. The talk concludes with practical ideas for advancing adoption. abcpt26-85598-what-i-learned-spending-bitcoin-in-south-africa Blink Stage /media/abcpt26/submissions/TVXZHJ/Where_to_spend_Bitcoin_and__aCjlpWX.webp Nick Darlington en I launched BitcoinFriendlySA in May 2025 to map where South Africans can spend Bitcoin and to build a content platform that helps people learn how to spend and accept Bitcoin with confidence. In the process of doing that work — researching, documenting the merchants, writing guides on everything from how businesses can accept Bitcoin to how customers can spend it, meeting industry players like MoneyBadger, spending Bitcoin myself using tools like Luno Pay and Lightning wallets like Blink, connecting with many like-minded individuals and speaking to many people on the ground — I went through a major shift: from seeing Bitcoin mainly as digital gold to understanding it as both digital gold and real money people can use for everyday spending and saving. This talk briefly covers the Bitcoin payment landscape in SA and how to pay with BTC before sharing the key lessons I've learned along the way, including: 1. Bitcoin is an SoV and MoV, and that means spending and saving can co-exist 2. At the till, Bitcoin is still early, but every successful payment is a moment for education 3. Invisible Bitcoin payments don't drive adoption: In SA, Bitcoin payments are often invisible because people can pay by scanning a QR code without mentioning "Bitcoin". 4. People are reluctant to spend Bitcoin, and we discuss why, covering topics like HODL culture, short-term volatility concerns, and tax implications. It concludes with ideas for driving adoption forward. This is not a technical talk but a grounded account of my experience: what Bitcoin adoption really looks like after building BitcoinFriendlySA, writing content, speaking to people, and simply learning by doing. false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/TVXZHJ/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/TVXZHJ/feedback/ Blink Talk 2026-01-30T15:50:00+02:00 15:50 00:20 A talk to underscore the importance of running a Bitcoin full node. abcpt26-82286-the-importance-of-running-a-bitcoin-node Blink Stage Martijn van Rooijen en Key talking points: Why do nodes matter? What's the function of a Bitcoin full node? Consensus rules versus policy rules The reference software implementation: Core versus Knots What's in it for you, why would you want to run your own node? Call to action false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/3AWLT3/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/3AWLT3/feedback/ Blink Fireside Chat 2026-01-30T16:15:00+02:00 16:15 00:30 P2P in South Africa Fireside Chat with Hodl Hodl abcpt26-88852-p2p-in-south-africa-fireside-chat-with-hodl-hodl Blink Stage Ricki AllardiceAnna en P2P in South Africa Fireside Chat with Hodl Hodl false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/AFFDK8/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/AFFDK8/feedback/ BTrust Workshop 2026-01-30T10:50:00+02:00 10:50 00:45 Ark is a Bitcoin-native transaction batching technique that enables scalable, near-instant payments without sacrificing self-custody or Bitcoin finality. It uses a shared UTXO model coordinated by an always-on operator, where most payments are executed offchain and periodically anchored to Bitcoin via onchain settlement. This workshop introduces the core concepts behind Ark, including Virtual UTXOs (VTXOs), commitment transactions, transaction trees, and unilateral exits. Participants gain an intuitive understanding of Ark’s trust model, how atomicity between batches is enforced without covenants, and where Ark fits into the broader Bitcoin scaling landscape alongside the Lightning Network. abcpt26-86061-ark-101-scaling-bitcoin-with-transaction-batching BTrust Workshop Room Veronika Kütt en This workshop introduces Ark, a Bitcoin-native transaction batching technique designed to improve scalability while preserving self-custody and Bitcoin finality. Ark uses a shared UTXO model coordinated by an always-on operator, enabling near-instant offchain payments with periodic onchain settlement. Participants will learn how Virtual UTXOs (VTXOs) represent user-controlled claims on shared onchain outputs, and how Ark enables unilateral exits using presigned transactions, CSV delays, Taproot scripts, and MuSig2—without requiring covenants. The session explains how commitment transactions anchor virtual balances to Bitcoin, and how connector and forfeit transactions ensure atomicity between batches without requiring trust in the operator. The workshop also explores Ark’s trust model, including offchain preconfirmation versus onchain finality, its relationship to the Lightning Network, and current research challenges such as exit costs, operator decentralization, liquidity provision, and scalability under mass exits. This session is suitable for researchers, developers, and technically curious Bitcoiners interested in L2 design and scaling tradeoffs. false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/TSMQAW/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/TSMQAW/feedback/ BTrust Workshop 2026-01-30T11:40:00+02:00 11:40 00:45 Bitcoin offers us financial freedom, but true sovereign entrepreneurs requires understanding the deeper principles governing all value of exchanges. This talk explores how natural law, together with ethical and honorable commerce create businesses that transcend mere profitability to build instead multigenerational value for private sovereign communities and genuine freedom to be and operate at our best. NO matter of jurisdiction, or nations, learn to navigate commercial systems above the powers "they" claim to have, creating proper contractual relationships, leveraging private entities or asset protection. abcpt26-85759-building-sovereign-private-businesses-with-natural-law-bitcoin-principles BTrust Workshop Room /media/abcpt26/submissions/QWF7U3/JJ01_o6MllMR_H56JHuY_yS2S8k_Cd3iiAl.webp Jimmy-Jack Buckstrong en # Presentation slides are available [here](https://cryptpad.fr/presentation/#/2/presentation/view/9EehP9EnLZOcCgmemS60mGyMSHqkH5v1d7oxMVG5SnI/embed/). Check the links, learn how to get back your freedom. - - - Attendees will discover practical frameworks for aligning business operations with timeless principles that complement Bitcoin's revolutionary approach to money—embodying a complete philosophy of sovereign commerce that creates lasting value for communities and future generations to come. This talk will aim to gather entrepreneurs and creative talents together to explore the possibilities of operating business in the private. Ideally will be 2/3 presentation and 1/3 Q&A as most knowledge is build thought interactions. true https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/QWF7U3/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/QWF7U3/feedback/ BTrust Workshop 2026-01-30T13:10:00+02:00 13:10 00:45 A beginner workshop that does more than the average "Here's how you can make $10k a month working for yourself" scam. It's an interactive workshop, backed by my Proof-of-Work, that aims to help bridge the gap between where the audience is & where they can be. Not unrealistic, not a get-rich-quick shitcoin scam, just step-by-step activities that make a self-sovereign career a bit less scary. It takes the audience from how the pillars of freelancing aligns with the pillars of Bitcoin - decentralised, immutable, scalable, Proof-of-Work, structured by incentive, peer-to-peer - to action steps on identifying a freelancing niche, how to get started, and more practical things like how to set up a Lightning wallet and send invoices, how to secure themselves as freelancers, etc. abcpt26-73365-bitcoin-freelancing-a-peer-to-peer-proof-of-work-system BTrust Workshop Room /media/abcpt26/submissions/LK3MDS/Bitcoin_Freelancing_A_Peer-t_6FnCQEE.png Corlia Nolte en I have been freelancing for over a year now and had the opportunity to collaborate with Bitcoin brands, such as The Little HODLer, Love is Bitcoin, Bitcoin Racing and BitLyrics. My motivation to start freelancing is the same as a standard pleb's motivation for stacking: to take control of your resources. It was a super scary step, and today the step I'm the most proud of. I am a big advocate for taking control of your life, however daunting it may be. It's with great passion and excitement that I want to help other plebs take control of their finances even further. I am thrilled to be the guide to others that I needed when I started my journey. I am truly committed to giving my best, so that my fellow plebs can walk away from the conference with the same excitement and motivation to not only stack financial value, but skill value as well. My goals isn't to get an audience, my goals is to inspire a movement of new Bitcoin freelancer businesses. Here's a small Proof-of-Work: https://x.com/CorTalksBTC/status/1863200387768988058 false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/LK3MDS/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/LK3MDS/feedback/ BTrust Workshop 2026-01-30T14:00:00+02:00 14:00 00:45 As bitcoin adoption accelerates, accounting for payments is creating a lot of friction. This workshop will be an open mic session lead by an experienced Bitcoin accountant to discuss the solutions other projects and companies have found. Bring your own personal challenges and we will talk about ways to solve them. abcpt26-84957-how-to-track-bitcoin-payments-without-spreadsheets BTrust Workshop Room Roark Janis en As bitcoin adoption accelerates, accounting for payments is creating a lot of friction. This workshop will be an open mic session lead by an experienced Bitcoin accountant to discuss the solutions other projects and companies have found. Bring your own personal challenges and we will talk about ways to solve them. false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/MTPQGQ/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/MTPQGQ/feedback/ BTrust Workshop 2026-01-30T14:50:00+02:00 14:50 00:45 Blockhunters is a bitcoin-themed board game designed to make learning about bitcoin fun, interactive, and memorable. In this workshop, participants will play through a full game of Blockhunters, and they’ll be learning key bitcoin concepts along the way: scarcity, mining, privacy, use cases for bitcoin around the world, and more. Blockhunters is a simple, fast-paced game that ultimately lowers barriers to entry and creates an inclusive and dynamic environment for both newcomers and seasoned bitcoiners, kids and adults. It's especially helpful for tactile and visual learners. abcpt26-82295-blockhunters-the-bitcoin-board-game-workshop BTrust Workshop Room /media/abcpt26/submissions/K3C8NB/photo_2025-04-10_14.00.15_IrKRIGI.jpeg Emily Hughes en The Blockhunters Workshop is an interactive, play-based learning experience built around the Blockhunters - The Bitcoin Board Game. It was designed to teach bitcoin concepts in an engaging way. Participants form groups of 4 and play through the game while guided by a facilitator (in this case, Emily, one of the game's co-creators). Along the way, they will encounter bitcoin fundamentals in action: finite supply, nodes verifying transactions as they enter the mempool, the process of mining, and more. Unlike traditional lectures or panels, the Blockhunters Workshop is participatory and experiential. Players learn by doing: the game’s rules are based on the bitcoin protocol itself, and players act it out. This tactile engagement ensures knowledge retention while also building camaraderie among participants. It’s very easy to pick up, the rules are not so complicated. The workshop is suitable for: 1. Newcomers who want an accessible, introduction to bitcoin. (This type of player consistently highlights how the format made bitcoin concepts “click”) 2. Educators & community builders looking for innovative teaching tools. Blockhunters really shines in an educational environment. 3. Seasoned bitcoiners who want a fun, social activity. It’s a fun game and the pros delight in seeing the protocol come alive through play!! We want to contribute an inclusive, high-energy session by bringing Blockhunters to Adopting Bitcoin in Cape Town. Our game touches on the technical side of bitcoin as well as the social side - our characters are using bitcoin for myriad reasons from advancing human rights to fighting inflation. All this in format that’s playful yet deeply educational! false Blockhunters Product Photo https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/K3C8NB/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/K3C8NB/feedback/ BTrust Talk 2026-01-30T15:40:00+02:00 15:40 00:45 What is Fedimint and how can it be useful for circular economies. abcpt26-87634-fedimint BTrust Workshop Room joschisan en Fedimint is a community custody solution that integrates Lightning, Onchain and eCash payments into a single application. We will explain the practical properties of the technology and how to self host such a system on Start9s for your own community. false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/LJZUN8/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/LJZUN8/feedback/ BTrust Workshop 2026-01-30T16:30:00+02:00 16:30 00:45 Stratum V2 Mining Workshop abcpt26-89192-stratum-v2-a-step-towards-mining-decentralization BTrust Workshop Room Simon en Bitcoin's security model assumes decentralized mining, but today a handful of pool operators control which transactions get included in blocks. This creates censorship risks that undermine Bitcoin's core value proposition. This talk covers: - How Bitcoin mining actually works (from basics to ASIC-level details) - Why pool payment schemes like FPPS incentivize centralization - The censorship threats we're already seeing in practice - How Stratum V2 enables miners to select their own transactions - Practical setup: use SV2 today with your existing mining hardware If you're a miner, developer, or Bitcoin enthusiast, you'll leave understanding why transaction selection matters and how to be part of the solution. false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/FHNL9D/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/FHNL9D/feedback/ Machankura Talk 2026-01-31T10:00:00+02:00 10:00 00:20 Machankura abcpt26-88563-machankura Machankura Stage Kgothatso Ngako en Machankura false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/AYEKJZ/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/AYEKJZ/feedback/ Machankura Talk 2026-01-31T10:25:00+02:00 10:25 00:20 Building Bitcoin Circular Economies in Africa. abcpt26-88222-why-should-we-build-bitcoin-circular-economies-in-africa Machankura Stage Hermann Buhr Vivier en Building Bitcoin Circular Economies in Africa. false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/QQXGKV/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/QQXGKV/feedback/ Machankura Talk 2026-01-31T10:50:00+02:00 10:50 00:20 Carel van Wyk | MoneyBadger abcpt26-88554-moneybadger-scaling-bitcoin-commerce-to-650-000-shops Machankura Stage Carel van Wyk en Carel van Wyk | MoneyBadger false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/QGXWFK/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/QGXWFK/feedback/ Machankura Talk 2026-01-31T11:15:00+02:00 11:15 00:20 Financial freedom is a cornerstone of human rights. But today, financial systems are being weaponized to surveil, censor, and silence. For people living under authoritarian regimes or facing financial repression, Bitcoin offers a lifeline. This session explores how activists and everyday people are using it to survive, access global funds, and reclaim control over their financial lives. abcpt26-88747-money-without-borders-bitcoin-and-human-rights Machankura Stage Judy Imasuen en Financial freedom is a cornerstone of human rights. But today, financial systems are being weaponized to surveil, censor, and silence. For people living under authoritarian regimes or facing financial repression, Bitcoin offers a lifeline. This session explores how activists and everyday people are using it to survive, access global funds, and reclaim control over their financial lives. false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/EMRZVJ/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/EMRZVJ/feedback/ Machankura Talk 2026-01-31T11:40:00+02:00 11:40 00:20 Bitcoin is often described as “money that just works.” Blocks keep coming, transactions confirm, and value moves across borders with no central authority. But beneath this seamless experience is an invisible infrastructure powered by real humans: developers reviewing pull requests at midnight, debating edge cases, maintaining critical code, and sustaining the network’s resilience. This talk explores the often-overlooked human layer of Bitcoin open-source development and why decentralizing that layer is essential for Bitcoin’s long-term survival. Drawing from Btrust’s work across the Global South, we'll explore what it takes to build sustainable developer pipelines beyond funding. Because adoption without resilient infrastructure is just marketing, and decentralized money requires decentralized builders. abcpt26-89193-the-invisible-infrastructure-behind-the-scenes-of-bitcoin-and-btrust Machankura Stage Sharon Murugi en Most people only see the “magic” of Bitcoin: a network that runs flawlessly in the background. But that magic is only the tip of the iceberg. Behind Bitcoin is an invisible infrastructure of contributors, engineers, reviewers, maintainers, and community builders, doing the unglamorous, high-stakes work that keeps the protocol alive. Historically, this work has been geographically concentrated, creating a quiet centralization risk for a system meant to be decentralized. In this session, we'll go behind the scenes of Bitcoin development and into the work Btrust is doing to change that reality. This talk is ultimately a reminder that Bitcoin’s future depends not only on code, but on the people, and the invisible work, that sustain it. false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/3FSPTN/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/3FSPTN/feedback/ Machankura Talk 2026-01-31T12:05:00+02:00 12:05 00:20 The world is changing, but should we? abcpt26-88561-the-world-is-changing-but-should-we Machankura Stage Ernst Roets en The world is changing, but should we? false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/UEGBJK/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/UEGBJK/feedback/ Machankura Panel 2026-01-31T13:05:00+02:00 13:05 00:40 Bitcoin Circular Economies in South Africa abcpt26-89157-bitcoin-circular-economies-in-south-africa Machankura Stage /media/abcpt26/submissions/UPPT9U/LuthandoSABTC_bC7MAxz_wItgd3s.webp Josef TětekLuthando NdabambiThulisa SikolpatiEldry HillRetshepile en Bitcoin Circular Economies in South Africa false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/UPPT9U/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/UPPT9U/feedback/ Machankura Talk 2026-01-31T13:50:00+02:00 13:50 00:20 This is a conversation I believe would add depth to the program. I’d like to explore how real Bitcoin adoption in Africa depends on tools that are not only technically sound, but culturally and economically local. Drawing from my experience building Tando, I will speak about designing UX that feels familiar to people by integrating with systems they already trust, like M-PESA and other mobile money rails. When Bitcoin tools mirror existing flows people know, they lower friction and build confidence. abcpt26-85955-building-the-tools-that-make-bitcoin-usable Machankura Stage Sabina Gitau en The session will also look at localization beyond interfaces. That includes translating Bitcoin education and product messaging into local African languages, and adapting concepts like saving, spending and volatility to how people actually earn and plan in informal and low to middle income settings. I will touch on the idea of “sachetization” in an African context, where offering small, manageable amounts of value fits daily income patterns and helps people experiment with Bitcoin without feeling exposed. Overall, the talk will unpack how onramps, offramps and user flows must be designed around local realities if we want sustainable adoption. The goal is to give builders and educators concrete insights on how to make Bitcoin tools usable, trustworthy and relevant for the communities they serve. false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/WQJFPE/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/WQJFPE/feedback/ Machankura Talk 2026-01-31T14:15:00+02:00 14:15 00:20 This talk will be exploring why Bitcoin adoption hinges just not on access or education but on incentives and if we want to see Bitcoin in every hand we should consider how people think, feel and act. abcpt26-80340-fix-the-money-first-fix-the-motivation Machankura Stage /media/abcpt26/submissions/SZ9B8R/IMG_1389_t3olq5x.jpeg Noelyne Sumba en With this talk, based on my on- ground experience in Kenya, I’ll be exploring the notion that education alone is enough to drive bitcoin adoption. While critical, it is just the beginning. What really gets Bitcoin into people’s hands, and keeps it there, is the motivation, and nothing reinforces that motivation more than the ability to spend it meaningfully in daily life. When people see that Bitcoin isn’t just something to learn about or hold, but something they can actually use to pay for goods, services, or support their communities, adoption shifts from theory to lived reality. false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/SZ9B8R/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/SZ9B8R/feedback/ Machankura Panel 2026-01-31T14:40:00+02:00 14:40 00:40 Cross border payments have dramatically changed over the past decade. The incumbent SWIFT system is being challenged by Bitcoin, stablecoins and alternative settlement networks. Which system will win? abcpt26-88566-crossborder-settlements-panel Machankura Stage Ricki AllardiceRy Sterling YennieRobert AllenTheophilus IsahDivan Myburgh en Cross border payments have dramatically changed over the past decade. The incumbent SWIFT system is being challenged by Bitcoin, Stablecoins and alternative settlement networks. Which system will win? false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/QU9M9Y/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/QU9M9Y/feedback/ Machankura Talk 2026-01-31T15:25:00+02:00 15:25 00:20 A 14 year old's perspective on the state of education and what it is missing abcpt26-78513-what-i-wish-teachers-taught-about-money-bitcoin-and-the-world Machankura Stage Samantha de Waal en There are so many things missing from education systems all around the world. Those of us lucky enough to have already discovered Bitcoin already can educate ourselves and find people in the community to educate us; but for those who haven't, there needs to be more education in schools. This is what I wish teachers taught about money, Bitcoin, and the world. false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/W9XNHV/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/W9XNHV/feedback/ Machankura Talk 2026-01-31T15:50:00+02:00 15:50 00:20 In this talk, I'll share my multi-year journey exposing the Karatbars and GSB scams in South Africa, where unfulfilled gold-backed crypto promises caused investor losses and triggered regulatory warnings. As a whistleblower facing intimidation and SLAPP-style lawsuits, I've seen how centralized MLM schemes exploit hype—contrasting with Bitcoin's transparent decentralisation. Amid SA's challenges like high inflation and unbanked populations, I'll offer lessons on self-sovereignty via bitcoin education and non-custodial wallets. Noting 2025 multi-jurisdictional settlements for refunds, this session highlights bitcoin's role in parallel financial institutions where authorities lag. Attendees get tips to spot scams, build community resilience, and boost grassroots adoption in Africa. As a Bitcoin advocate with experience in savings experiments and security, I aim to empower all levels for a sovereign future. abcpt26-87143-from-scams-to-bitcoin-sovereignty-sa-lessons-from-karatbars-gsb Machankura Stage /media/abcpt26/submissions/XYZEUP/558889746_10164673123451535_T9mLdvE.webp Louis en This 20-minute talk explores the shift from crypto scam risks to bitcoin's sovereignty, based on South African experiences with Karatbars International and its rebrand, Gold Standard Banking (GSB). Karatbars, founded by Harald Seiz, promised gold-backed cryptos via MLM, drawing investors with wealth preservation claims. Hype crested in 2019 at Golden Independence Day in Las Vegas, but failed coin-to-gold exchanges revealed fraud, prompting warnings from SA's FSCA, Germany's BaFin, and others. The 2020 GSB rebrand under Josip Heit continued similar tactics, promoting Dubai property shares as potential unregistered securities. By late 2025, GSB faced multi-jurisdictional settlements via NASAA, with refund claims open from Feb 21 to May 22, 2025, for investors in areas like Alberta, Colorado, Arizona, and British Columbia—now closed. In SA, FSCA's 2023 warnings yielded no major actions, exposing gaps that pushed victims toward class-actions against promoters. My role—2018 blog alerts, talks with experts, and lawsuit defenses for YouTube critiques—shows advocacy's perils. In contrast, Bitcoin's 21M supply cap and blockchain transparency enable real self-sovereignty, without central control or empty promises. I'll link my experiments, like a year-long savings trial with 75% growth via Lightning Network, surpassing fiat amid SA's ~78% debt-to-GDP. The talk covers scam red flags (e.g., high returns, no audits) vs. bitcoin's mechanics, with tips: secure wallets vs. malware, pushing bitcoin in pensions, and NPO education to bridge centralised failures. This fits Adopting Bitcoin themes by showing scam fallout fueling parallel institutions—like grassroots nets hedging inflation for unbanked Africans. Q&A engages all levels for ethical adoption knowledge exchange. false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/XYZEUP/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/XYZEUP/feedback/ Machankura Talk 2026-01-31T16:15:00+02:00 16:15 00:20 Trade across Africa is hampered by $5 billion in annual losses to Foreign Exchange costs and trade friction. Robert Allen, founder of COINCUBE, proposes Bitcoin as the essential pan-African trade currency. Bitcoin offers a borderless, fast, and neutral settlement rail, empowering direct, low-cost cross-border transactions, eliminating delays and gatekeepers. The continent's mobile-first, tech-savvy population is primed for adoption. This talk will outline actionable steps to build Bitcoin trade corridors and foster a truly financially independent African market. abcpt26-78289-bitcoin-as-the-pan-african-trade-currency Machankura Stage /media/abcpt26/submissions/M8PMZS/PAN_AFRICAN_BANNER_NX1QLNA.png Robert Allen en Imagine an Africa where trade flows seamlessly. Robert Allen, founder of COINCUBE, presents Bitcoin as the solution to unlocking Africa's potential. Africa suffers from a quasi-barter system of trade with 42 different fiat currencies, each with very little utility outside of each respective political jurisdiction. This bifurcation results in $5B in annual currency conversion costs. Learn how Bitcoin's borderless, fast, and low-cost nature can empower direct, independent trade across the continent. To achieve this vision, we will need to move African businesses onto a Bitcoin standard. What are the steps we can take to make this a reality? Let's explore together! false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/M8PMZS/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/M8PMZS/feedback/ Machankura Talk 2026-01-31T16:40:00+02:00 16:40 00:20 We have published a book about the first five Bitcoin circular economies around the world, and I will talk about the process and everything we’ve learned. I also want to announce the production of our second book, dedicated exclusively to Africa’s Bitcoin circular economies. abcpt26-85364-bitcoin-circular-economies-book Machankura Stage Ivan Kaleja en A talk about our work of investigating bitcoin circular economies around the world false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/LN98FS/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/LN98FS/feedback/ Machankura Talk 2026-01-31T17:05:00+02:00 17:05 00:20 Closing Remarks, Important Announcements, Group Photo abcpt26-88848-closing-remarks-important-announcements-group-photo Machankura Stage Kgothatso NgakoJosef TětekHermann Buhr VivierBrindon MwiineMaximalistRonnie Mdawida en Closing Remarks, Important Announcements, Group Photo false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/K7FQ9J/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/K7FQ9J/feedback/ Blink Talk 2026-01-31T11:50:00+02:00 11:50 00:30 It's easier than previously imagined. Let's demonstrate a revolutionary approach to Lightning Network adoption through a suite of nostr-native tools: [CLINKme.dev](https://CLINKme.dev) (a Nostr-based payment protocol), [Lightning.Pub](https://Lightning.Pub) (sub-60-second Lightning node installation and account system), and [ShockWallet.app](https://ShockWallet.app) (Nostr-integrated wallet designed for both non-technical guests and node administrators). Bring your device and follow a step-by-step guide on how to launch a shared Lightning node in minutes for you and your community. Share a nostr nprofile to allow others to easily connect to it without the need to install any application. Simply use ShockWallet.app from your mobile browser. **Stay tuned, follow [@ShockBTC](https://x.com/ShockBTC)** abcpt26-88570-setup-a-shared-lightning-node-for-your-community-in-under-a-minute Blink Stage /media/abcpt26/submissions/WAQ7AQ/Win_3.11_1_1MVH1dF_9ArgPYu__Lbn5lWg.webp Jimmy-Jack Buckstrong en # Presentation slides are available [here](https://cryptpad.fr/slide/#/2/slide/view/UfWmAEsbXsBR4z-pzdPLd5cHi1vljmuaYnVSwvddDNw/embed/present/). Follow the steps and install your own sovereign private Lightning node. --- This workshop showcases how these tools eliminate traditional barriers—no firewall configuration, SSL certificates, or static IPs required, nor manual channel liquidity rebalancing—while enabling communities to create and maintain circular economies through Lightning-fast commerce. The live demo proves a full Lightning node (LND) can be deployed in few minutes on modest hardware like an old laptop (req. 20GB HDD + 4GB RAM). **Technical Advantages:** - Zero network configuration (no firewall, SSL, DNS, static IP) - All communication through Nostr relays - Remote administration via ShockWallet - Outputs an "nprofile" connection string for instant wallet pairing - Auto-start services configured automatically - Liquidity provider integration for immediate receiving capability - LSP (Lightning Service Provider) shopping for cost-effective channels **Coming Soon:** Wizard-based GUI for [Start9](https://github.com/shocknet/Lightning.Pub/releases) and Umbrel node distributions (no command line needed). Shock.Network apps are under active development and in seek of user feedback. You're welcome to try it yourself—the project is FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) available on [GitHub](https://github.com/shocknet) and documented at [docs.Shock.Network](https://docs.Shock.Network). true https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/WAQ7AQ/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/WAQ7AQ/feedback/ Blink Talk 2026-01-31T13:05:00+02:00 13:05 00:20 In this talk, Gareth Grobler, co-founder of Layerz Wallet, builds on effective onboarding strategies like those shared by Santosh Vadivelu - using relatable, everyday analogies to introduce Bitcoin's core properties (scarcity, unbreakable ownership, and lasting value) without buzzwords or immediately framing it as 'money.' abcpt26-88178-buzzwords-break-bitcoin Blink Stage Gareth Grobler en Drawing from real-world experiences in emerging markets, we'll explore practical metaphors - from limited-edition collectables and professional tools to tailored curiosity-sparkers - that make Bitcoin intuitive and exciting for newcomers. Attendees will walk away with actionable storytelling techniques to effectively engage friends, family, and communities, accelerating grassroots adoption across Africa and beyond. false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/9LLETX/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/9LLETX/feedback/ Blink Talk 2026-01-31T13:30:00+02:00 13:30 00:20 Bitcoin stands out as a lifeline for millions of unbanked and underbanked communities lacking secure savings, Bitcoin offers resilience. This talk highlights Bitsavers Eduhub, an initiative empowering youth and campus students to take charge of their financial futures. Through education in self‑custody, dollar‑cost averaging, and a community‑driven circular economy, students learn to “be their own bank.” With 62 graduates, 278 applicants across 20+ countries, and campus events averaging 150 participants, we show how grassroots Bitcoin education transforms vulnerable groups into empowered networks of self‑reliance. Attendees will gain insights into replicable adoption models, explore how a circular economy can foster sustainable prosperity, and share lessons on what works and what can be improved. By equipping this generation with tools for sovereignty, Bitcoin becomes a foundation for sustainable, community‑driven prosperity. abcpt26-84623-building-resilient-communities-with-bitcoin Blink Stage Linda Wambui en In regions where households remain unbanked or underbanked, where fiat systems erode savings and the fiat system stifles creativity, Bitcoin emerges as a decentralized alternative that restores agency and resilience. Bitsavers Eduhub was founded to bridge this gap by equipping African youth with practical Bitcoin education and guiding them on their journey to financial sovereignty. Through our 15‑session open‑source curriculum, students learn the fundamentals of Bitcoin, the discipline of dollar‑cost averaging, and the critical importance of self‑custody. Beyond theory, we foster adoption through a circular economy, enabling merchants and students to transact in Bitcoin while still engaging with fiat systems. Our impact so far includes two successful virtual cohorts, 62 graduates, applications from 20+ countries, and campus events attracting 150 participants. We have built communities, supported merchants in adopting Bitcoin payment solutions, and demonstrated that grassroots adoption is not only possible but scalable when communities take ownership of their financial future. This session will share lessons from building a Bitcoin‑first educational project in Africa, focusing on replicable models of education, community engagement, and a circular economy. Attendees will discover how empowering youth and campus students with Bitcoin literacy creates ripple effects such as strengthening resilience, fostering innovation, and building parallel institutions that thrive where centralized systems fall short. false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/ETAU7Q/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/ETAU7Q/feedback/ Blink Talk 2026-01-31T13:55:00+02:00 13:55 00:25 Africa’s economic history has been shaped by externally imposed currencies, capital controls, and monetary systems that weakened sovereignty and trust. These dynamics continue to limit mobility, cross-border trade, and long-term planning across the continent. This session explores Bitcoin as parallel monetary infrastructure relevant to Africa’s lived realities. Drawing on experience working with diaspora investors, entrepreneurs, and relocating families, it examines how Bitcoin’s neutrality and borderless design can reduce friction created by fragmented currencies, unstable trust environments, and constrained access to financial rails. The conversation focuses on political economy and adoption pathways, including grassroots communities and diaspora capital flows. Bitcoin’s future in Africa will be shaped by people choosing resilience, coordination, and monetary self-determination. abcpt26-86611-why-africa-needs-a-currency-no-one-can-control Blink Stage Ashley Cleveland en Africa’s relationship with money has long been shaped by externally imposed currencies, capital controls, and financial systems that prioritize extraction over participation. These structures have constrained trust, limited mobility, and weakened economic self-determination across the continent and its global diaspora. This talk examines Bitcoin’s relevance to Africa through the lens of political economy, sovereignty, and real-world adoption. Rather than focusing on price cycles or technical mechanics, it situates Bitcoin as a parallel monetary infrastructure capable of operating alongside existing systems where institutional trust is limited and access remains uneven. Drawing on hands-on work with diaspora investors, entrepreneurs, and families building across multiple African markets, the session explores how fragmented currencies, cross-border friction, and regulatory constraints shape everyday economic decisions. It highlights the role of grassroots adoption, diaspora capital flows, and community-led parallel institutions in accelerating Bitcoin usage without reliance on centralized authorities. The discussion positions Bitcoin as a tool for economic resilience and coordination rather than speculation. It invites attendees to consider how neutral, borderless money can support trade, mobility, and long-term planning in environments shaped by historical and structural imbalance. For those engaged in Bitcoin adoption, Africa offers critical insights into how monetary sovereignty emerges in practice. This session connects those insights to the broader global conversation on self-sovereignty, trust, and the future of parallel systems. false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/HUL3BB/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/HUL3BB/feedback/ Blink Workshop 2026-01-31T14:25:00+02:00 14:25 00:40 How do you help developers move from hearing about Bitcoin projects to actually building with them? This workshop shares our experiences working with the Fedimint Web SDK across African developer communities, starting with partnerships like Africa Free Routing and Dada Devs, then expanding to BitDevs meetups across the continent. We'll share what we've learned about bridging the gap between Bitcoin discussions and hands-on development. We'll explore the "build in 30 minutes" approach using the Fedimint Web SDK, an attempt to make contribution more accessible, and discuss partnership models we've been experimenting with across Nigerian, Kenyan, and other African communities. This is an open conversation about making Bitcoin development more approachable, with practical examples from our work. abcpt26-86705-making-bitcoin-development-more-accessible-with-the-fedimint-web-sdk Blink Stage Wanjiru Mariru en - Brief overview of our journey working with African developer communities - Quick demonstration of the Fedimint Web SDK (showing how accessible it can be) - Discussion of partnership models: lessons from Africa Free Routing, Dada Devs, and BitDevs communities - Interactive conversation about implementing similar programs in different contexts. The format is interactive and designed for both developers and community organizers and attendees will gain technical insight into the Fedimint Web SDK. false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/P8QWMG/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/P8QWMG/feedback/ Blink Panel 2026-01-31T15:10:00+02:00 15:10 00:40 Bitcoin Circular Economies in Africa abcpt26-87832-bitcoin-circular-economies-in-africa Blink Stage Josef TětekBelyï Nobel KubwayoBrindon MwiineDaniel NgaywaRonnie Mdawida en Bitcoin Circular Economies in Africa false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/MPLGZN/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/MPLGZN/feedback/ Blink Panel 2026-01-31T15:55:00+02:00 15:55 00:40 Bitcoin’s base layer prioritizes security and decentralization, but this comes with strict limits on throughput and latency. As Bitcoin adoption grows, second-layer solutions are becoming essential to scale usage without compromising core properties. This panel explores the current landscape of Bitcoin scaling approaches, including the Lightning Network, transaction batching techniques, and emerging Layer 2 designs. Panelists will discuss architectural tradeoffs around custody, trust assumptions, liquidity, finality, and user experience, highlighting where different solutions excel, where they fall short, and what open questions remain for scaling Bitcoin sustainably. abcpt26-86062-scaling-bitcoin-second-layer-solutions-and-tradeoffs Blink Stage Ricki AllardiceVeronika KüttjoschisanGareth Grobler en Bitcoin’s conservative design ensures robustness and neutrality, but also imposes hard constraints on transaction capacity and confirmation times. To scale Bitcoin for broader adoption, a growing ecosystem of second-layer solutions has emerged, each making different tradeoffs between security, trust, liquidity, and usability. This panel brings together researchers, builders, and practitioners to examine how Bitcoin scales beyond the base layer. Topics include the Lightning Network, transaction batching models, channel-based and UTXO-sharing approaches, and newer Layer 2 proposals. Panelists will compare trust models (custodial vs. non-custodial, preconfirmation vs. finality), discuss operational challenges such as liquidity provision and mass exits, and explore how user experience and reliability shape real-world adoption. The discussion aims to move beyond slogans and clarify the design space of Bitcoin L2s: what problems different approaches actually solve, what risks they introduce, and how these systems may evolve together rather than compete. The panel is intended for a technically curious audience seeking a clearer mental model of Bitcoin scaling tradeoffs. false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/WU7Q9X/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/WU7Q9X/feedback/ Blink Talk 2026-01-31T16:40:00+02:00 16:40 00:20 Bitcoin adoption in Africa is often framed around cities like Lagos and Nairobi. But the real story is unfolding in overlooked regions where financial exclusion is deepest. Drawing from our work at African Bitcoiners and Africa Free Routing, this talk shares how seminars, mentorships, lightning bootcamps, and community tools are helping ordinary people truly ‘get’ Bitcoin — not just as an idea, but as something they can use in daily life. abcpt26-81924-beyond-lagos-and-nairobi-bitcoin-adoption-in-africa-s-overlooked-regions Blink Stage Satoshee en When people talk about Bitcoin in Africa, the conversation often stops at Lagos, Nairobi, or Cape Town. But in overlooked regions, far from the big city spotlight, Bitcoin adoption is happening at the grassroots level — in community halls, local meetups, and mentorship sessions. In this talk, I’ll share the work we’re doing at African Bitcoiners and Africa Free Routing to onboard people into the Bitcoin ecosystem through seminars, mentorship programs, lightning bootcamps, and hands-on tools that make Bitcoin practical and relatable. The focus is on moving beyond theory. Attendees will come away with a clear picture of how these grassroots efforts are building the foundation for Bitcoin’s future in Africa, especially in regions often ignored in mainstream narratives. false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/JG7TXR/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/JG7TXR/feedback/ BTrust Talk 2026-01-31T11:50:00+02:00 11:50 00:30 This informal yet dynamic session allows participants to pitch their Bitcoin-related projects in just 5 minutes, sharing their innovations, ideas, and contributions to the Bitcoin ecosystem. It's an exciting opportunity for attendees to showcase their work and engage with the broader Bitcoin community. Whether you're curious about the latest Bitcoin innovations or interested in getting involved, this session is a must-watch for anyone looking to discover new projects and network with like-minded individuals. Each speaker has 5-minutes and a maximum of 5-slides to present something they are working on in the Bitcoin space. abcpt26-88847-pechakucha-style-presentation BTrust Workshop Room Maximalist en This informal yet dynamic session allows participants to pitch their Bitcoin-related projects in just 5 minutes, sharing their innovations, ideas, and contributions to the Bitcoin ecosystem. It's an exciting opportunity for attendees to showcase their work and engage with the broader Bitcoin community. Whether you're curious about the latest Bitcoin innovations or interested in getting involved, this session is a must-watch for anyone looking to discover new projects and network with like-minded individuals. Each speaker has 5-minutes and a maximum of 5-slides to present something they are working on in the Bitcoin space. false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/K8UWS7/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/K8UWS7/feedback/ BTrust Workshop 2026-01-31T13:05:00+02:00 13:05 00:45 Cole's famous self-custody beginner's workshop abcpt26-88555-cole-s-famous-self-custody-beginner-s-workshop BTrust Workshop Room Cole Tuckett en When FTX collapsed overnight, billions in customer funds disappeared. The lesson was clear: if you don't hold your own keys, you don't truly own your Bitcoin. This beginner-friendly workshop cuts through the confusion and teaches you exactly how to take custody of your Bitcoin - no technical background required. What you'll learn: What Bitcoin wallets actually do (hint: they don't store Bitcoin) Why seed phrases are the key to everything How to set up your first self-custody wallet, live and hands-on When to consider upgrading to hardware wallets What you'll walk away with: A working Bitcoin wallet on your phone Your seed phrase written down and understood Confidence to receive and manage your own Bitcoin A clear path forward as your stack grows false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/CRHJNE/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/CRHJNE/feedback/ BTrust Workshop 2026-01-31T13:55:00+02:00 13:55 00:45 VEXL Demo | Josef and Okin abcpt26-88219-vexl-workshop BTrust Workshop Room Josef TětekNikolai Okin Tjongarero en VEXL Demo | Josef and Okin false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/LYDEA8/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/LYDEA8/feedback/ BTrust Workshop 2026-01-31T14:45:00+02:00 14:45 00:45 Cryptosquid abcpt26-88557-start9-labs-building-a-server BTrust Workshop Room Cryptosquid en We will be setting up a DIY server and discussing the differences in doing so VS buying and setting up a server directly from Start9. false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/HHPV8G/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/HHPV8G/feedback/ BTrust Workshop 2026-01-31T15:35:00+02:00 15:35 00:45 Learn to use Bitcoin in everyday life with this hands-on Fedi workshop. Participants will master chat for direct messaging and payments, explore mini-apps for real-world transactions, and discover how Fedi Communities and Federations organize essential tools while maintaining strong privacy. Sats prizes to be won! abcpt26-88564-fedi-workshop BTrust Workshop Room Modibe Matsepane en Learn to use Bitcoin in everyday life with this hands-on Fedi workshop. Participants will master chat for direct messaging and payments, explore mini-apps for real-world transactions, and discover how Fedi Communities and Federations organize essential tools while maintaining strong privacy. Sats prizes to be won! false https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/HWXG9A/ https://pretalx.com/abcpt26/talk/HWXG9A/feedback/