In a significant recent event, ₿trust, a non-profit organization backed by the co-founder of Twitter (now synonymous with X) and active Bitcoin proponent Jack Dorsey, has successfully acquired Qala, a body serving to enhance the skills of Bitcoin and Lightning engineers in Africa. This integration is all set to further ₿Trust’s mission of stimulating the proliferation and learning of Bitcoin open-source developers on a global scale, especially in the Global South. The tag of skepticism arises from merging a non-profit entity with a training organization, possibly changing the dynamics of the Global South’s involvement in Bitcoin development.
As a result of this transaction, Qala refashions itself into the ₿trust Builders Programme. Qala, since its inception in 2021, has played a leading role in sourcing, training, and aligning African software programmers with international Bitcoin companies. This has greatly aided in equipping them with the most in-demand skills swirling in the global Bitcoin landscape.
Qala has been successful in fostering one of Africa’s largest online communities of Bitcoin developers, stretching across more than 42 nations, including Nigeria, Kenya, and Uganda. Several alumni have secured positions in firms such as Galoy, SphinxChat, and Bitnob, to name a few. Also, they’ve managed to secure open-source grants from ₿trust and Superlunar.
Under the upgraded acquisition terms, Femi Longe, CEO of Qala, along with program manager Stephanie Titcombe, are designated as program heads at ₿trust Builders. On the flip side of the coin lies the question of how this migration of top-level executives might impact the prevailing structure and future of Qala and whether this will be beneficial for the wider ecosystem in the long run.
₿trust was initiated by Dorsey last year. Funded by Dorsey and artist and producer Jay-Z, the non-profit’s initial focus was on team development in Africa and India. It’s currently directed by a board of directors that includes Abubakar Nur Khalil, Carla Kirk-Cohen, Obi Nwosu, and Ochai. Its rise has been impressive, yet the inherence of non-profit status within the cryptoverse may bring questions regarding long-term sustainability and legal provisions.
This acquisition clearly demonstrates the dynamic expansion of Bitcoin development in Africa, yet it provokes questions about the implications of such mergers on the organizations involved on a macro level, as well as on the overall Bitcoin development scene.
Source: Cointelegraph
