Btrust, a Bitcoin-focused nonprofit co-founded by Block CEO Jack Dorsey and rapper Jay-Z, has acquired Qala, an Africa-based firm that specialises in training Bitcoin and Lightning engineers. The deal has seen Qala rebrand itself as the Btrust Builders Programme following a September 1st acquisition.

This acquisition represents an opportunity for both entities to collectively drive their vision of bolstering Bitcoin development across the African continent. While Btrust, initially endowed with 500 BTC, possesses financial resources, it lacks the infrastructure required to cultivate a robust talent pipeline for African Bitcoin development. It primarily relies on providing grants to fulfil its mission. On the other hand, Qala boasts the necessary training framework but faces resource constraints for sustainable operations.

When asked about Qala’s most pressing challenge, CEO Femi Longe candidly pointed to financial constraints as the primary issue. Qala was established as a social enterprise and does not generate revenue, relying on grants from various organizations, including the Human Rights Foundation and Coinbase Giving.

Longe elaborated, “The challenge is that the generosity, and sometimes the opportunities in Bitcoin, tend to correlate with the price of Bitcoin, much like hiring does, which represents the second challenge we encountered. During bear markets, Bitcoin companies tighten their budgets.”

In addition to covering day-to-day operational expenses, Qala requires funding to provide a stipend to program fellows who reach the intensive training phase. This stipend ensures that their primary focus remains on the training program.

Furthermore, there is the reality that attracting senior-level engineers to transition into Bitcoin development comes with higher costs. This is partly because they expect a commensurate stipend as part of the program. Senior engineers are valuable due to their ability to solve complex challenges more rapidly than their junior and mid-level counterparts.

Longe emphasized, “We’ve successfully attracted junior to mid-level talent, but how do you entice highly experienced developers to view this as a viable career path? I believe that with the resources we now have access to through the trust, opportunities, and pathways for experimentation and exploration in that direction, attracting senior talents will increase.”

As part of the acquisition, Femi Longe and Stephanie Titcombe, program manager at Qala, will assume roles as program leads for Btrust Builders. The program is shifting its focus to open-source training and is inviting senior African software developers to participate in Bitcoin and Lightning development.

Ojoma Ochai, a member of Btrust’s Board, expressed pride in welcoming Femi and his team to Btrust, citing Qala’s extensive outreach and high-quality programs that have made significant strides in driving open-source development in the Global South. These efforts align closely with Btrust’s core mission.
Bernard Parah, co-founder and director of Qala, highlighted the significance of the announcement, stating, “When we launched our program in 2021, our objective was straightforward: to cultivate a substantial number of African engineers well-versed in Bitcoin’s potential to transform the continent. Today’s announcement significantly expedites this mission, enhancing our ability to not only grow our current community but also provide them with the resources to actively contribute to Bitcoin’s open-source development as a crucial solution to Africa’s distinct socio-economic challenges.”