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Financial Freedom

 

About

Today, 5.7 billion people — 72% of the world — live under authoritarianism.

All governments, especially those of dictators, frequently debase, manipulate, demonetize, and surveil currencies, confiscate property, and freeze the bank accounts of people they don’t like. Dissidents, human rights defenders, journalists, and nonprofit organizations in authoritarian countries face enormous obstacles just to receive donations and pay bills.

HRF’s Financial Freedom program educates activists worldwide, unites people from different industries and backgrounds, and makes grants in the service of advancing Bitcoin as a tool for human rights.

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Our Recent Publications

Financial Freedom Report
Bitcoin Development Fund Q1 2024 Grants
Stranded: How Bitcoin is Saving Wasted Energy and Expanding Financial Freedom in Africa
Financial Freedom Track at Bitcoin Atlantis

Our Strategy

Education

We educate the public on the threats to people’s financial freedom through op-eds in top news outlets, speaking engagements, educational events, and funding initiatives.

Training

We provide hands-on training to activists and human rights defenders on how to get started with bitcoin, safely store it, crowdfund with it, and accept private donations under the threat of dictators.

Grants

We provide grants and financial support to software developers, entrepreneurs, and community builders tackling the most pressing issues facing activists, especially around financial surveillance, suppression, and control.

Our Initiatives

Bitcoin Development Fund

A fund supporting software developers, entrepreneurs, activists, human rights defenders, community builders, and educators making Bitcoin a better financial tool for human rights activists.

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Financial Freedom Report

A weekly newsletter focusing on the role currency and banking play in the civil liberties and human rights struggles of those living under authoritarian regimes.

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CBDC Tracker

A central bank digital currency (CBDC) tracker with the goal of charting the research, development, and implementation of CBDCs worldwide.

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Global Bitcoin Summit

A Summit bringing together over 100 Bitcoin activists, human rights defenders, community leaders, software developers, and NGO adopters from over 55 countries and six continents.

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Get Bitcoin

An educational resource to help you get your first bit of bitcoin. It’s also your first step to becoming your own bank and earning, buying, or receiving a little bit of bitcoin.

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Bitcoin for Nonprofits

A guide showcasing how a variety of nonprofit organizers and donors use bitcoin around the world that illustrates why, and precisely how, they do it.

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Bounty Program

An initial set of 10 bounty challenges to help increase the usability and privacy of Bitcoin, Lightning network, E-cash, and Nostr. An individual or team who fully solves any of the ten challenges will be eligible to receive a bounty of 2 BTC.

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News & Media

Empowering Human Rights Through Bitcoin and Open…

Mar 17, 2024

Bitcoin, a 30,000 Feet View with Jeff Booth and Alex Gladstein

Dec 20, 2023

A CBDC Call to Action

Nov. 14, 2023

Bitcoin & Human Rights: A Common Ground for Activists…

Aug 30, 2023

Human Rights Foundation Backs Bug Bounty With Bitcoin

July 29, 2023

Human Rights Leaders Pen Letter to US Congress…

June 7, 2022

Lex Fridman Podcast: Bitcoin, Author…

Oct. 16, 2021

Take Action

Subscribe

Receive weekly newsletters on the role currency and banking play on our civil liberties and human rights struggles

Donate

Donate to support the Financial Freedom program via bitcoin or USD

Apply

If you’re a Bitcoin developer, community builder, or educator, you can apply for our Bitcoin Development Fund grants