LIST | Here Are the 8 Finalists Selected for the ‘Build For Africa’ Bitcoin Lightning Network Hackathon

8 finalists have been announced in the ongoing ‘Built for Africa’ hackathon, which was organized by Btrust Builders, formerly Qala.

The hackathon, which sought ANYONE interested in building innovative applications and tools to solve African problems powered by Bitcoin and the Lightning network, had asked members in its community to vote to select the final 8 startups. 

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'We are not looking for ideas from just developers. We welcome ideas from the entire Bitcoin ecosystem and beyond. If you do not have the ability to… pic.twitter.com/Ja482o8LQy

— BitKE (@BitcoinKE) September 27, 2023

Here is a list of the solutions selected and what they’re building:

1.) Splice

Splice is transforming cross-border trade and investment dynamics throughout Africa through a peer-to-peer non-KYC system designed for cross-border payments. They’re also empowering mobile money agents and merchants to facilitate transactions.

2.) Vyouz

Vyouz enables Africans to earn sats by interacting with ads on various digital platforms. This includes websites, blogs, mobile apps, games, and social media avenues such as WhatsApp and Telegram.

3.) Mava Pay

Mava Pay is simplifying and expediting the remittance process. Senders can remit Bitcoin through their platform, ensuring almost instantaneous delivery of the equivalent amount in fiat to receivers’ bank accounts.

4.) BitPension

BitPension is tackling the retirement savings challenges encountered by those in the informal sector through a multi-sig Bitcoin pension system, designed to offer a secure and adaptable method for individuals to save for retirement.

5.) SkillBit

Skillbit serves as a link connecting skilled talent with individuals and organizations seeking their expertise. They’re also leveraging Bitcoin payments to facilitate transactions, eliminating the reliance on traditional payment methods.

6.) BitSpend

Bitspend allows users to make payments in their home currencies while leveraging the #LightningNetwork to route funds to the payee without requiring the users to directly engage with #Bitcoin.

7.) Sats to Go

What if we got paid for being punctual? SATS to GO! is aimed at addressing the issue of tardiness. They’re gamifying the process of being on time. But that’s not it, they’re integrating services that allow participants to utilize the Sats.

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8.) Stealth Money

Stealth Money streamlines and automates the process of saving in #Bitcoin, empowering users to build their savings in a self-custodial manner.

This hackathon is one of the first initiatives for the newly acquired organization, Btrust Builders (formerly Qala), dedicated to training African Bitcoin and Lightning engineers. Qala was acquired in September 2023 by Btrust, a non-profit organization founded by Block CEO, Jack Dorsey and rapper, Jay-Z, to support Bitcoin development across the continent.