Bitcoin adoption in the Global South: how Trezor Academy is driving real change

­Hi,

I’m Josef Tětek, Trezor Academy Lead at Trezor.

You’ve probably heard about Trezor Academy, our global, non-profit initiative that accelerates Bitcoin adoption through free, in-person education. But you might not know that Alex Gladstein’s book Check Your Financial Privilege inspired the whole thing! It showed that Bitcoin helping out with financial inclusion wasn’t just a theory and that it is actually already happening. It’s already fixing broken systems around the world.

That’s when I knew we had to support bottom-up, community-led education. At Trezor Academy, I work with local leaders who are trusted in their communities and can teach Bitcoin in the proper cultural context. You can’t just fly in as an outsider and preach. Local adoption needs local voices.

The reality? In many parts of Africa and South America, fiat money doesn’t work. As a store of value or as a medium of exchange, the infrastructure and credibility simply aren’t there. Cross-border payments are often impossible… unless you use Bitcoin.

This is where the real Bitcoin revolution is happening. Bitcoin’s future may well be decided in the Global South, as it offers a strong alternative to fiat money’s most pressing issues and is permissionless, unlike any other potential solution. Bitcoin thrives in hostile financial environments, which then drives adoption and innovation.

One example is Machankura, a project that lets users send and receive sats using a phone number. Communities across eight African countries (and counting!) already use the Lightning Network on basic mobile phones. Projects like this are reshaping entire economies. In many ways, the Bitcoin economy is more advanced in Africa than Europe or America, and the population is far younger.

If you’re not paying attention to Bitcoin’s revolution in the Global South, you probably should be.

Thanks to everyone supporting this project, from local organizers to Bitcoiners, for spreading the word.

Take control.

Josef Tětek Trezor Academy Lead at Trezor

Trezor Academy story

Linda Wambui Kariuki has supported Trezor Academy’s mission to spread Bitcoin education globally since 2024 by teaching local communities in Kenya about Bitcoin.

“Seeking a freer and fairer future, I joined Students for Liberty, where I discovered Bitcoin’s transformative potential. I began teaching Bitcoin at Trezor Academy, and through this experience, I saw its power to inspire and empower communities. The decentralized and transparent nature of Bitcoin, alongside its ability to guarantee financial inclusion for the unbanked, especially in the informal settlements resonated deeply with me. To further this impact, I launched Bitsavers Eduhub, a project that promotes Bitcoin as a store of value in Kenya’s youth-dominated society grappling with unemployment.”