@ The Bitcoin Community Newsletter

In this edition, we invited Nyirenda, a member of the nostr:npub1t4ljwhhg7zlxeahxwgmkwqmn4jjxxq8lzhyuzy0zvy23hq0sacxsdl9fvv community, to share his personal experiences in participating in the Bitcoin community, as well as the challenges the community has faced in its operations and the strategies used to address them. **YakiHonne:** Today, we are honored to have a guest from Bitcoin Boma with us. Thank you for joining us. Before we dive in, I'd like to take a moment to introduce YakiHonne and share a bit about what we do. YakiHonne is a decentralized media client built on the Nostr protocol that enables freedom of speech through technology. It empowers creators to create their own voice, assets, and features. It also allows features like smart widgets, verified notes, and focuses on long-form articles. Now today we'll be exploring more about the Bitcoin community. Nyirenda, could you please briefly introduce yourself and tell us a bit about what you do? **Nyirenda**：My name is Nyirenda. I'm part of the Bitcoin Boma Education Program and Bitcoin Boma Malawi. Bitcoin Boma Malawi is a coalition of Bitcoin enthusiasts who have come together to raise social, economic, and environmental awareness about Bitcoin in Malawi. Our long-term strategy involves engaging with various stakeholders, including the government, to work towards the legalization of Bitcoin.  **YakiHonne:** What sparked your interest in Bitcoin, and what motivated you to start a community around it? **Nyirenda**: I first came across Bitcoin in 2016 through the news. Back then, its price had already surged to $16,000, which sparked my interest right away. Although the news warned that Bitcoin resembled a Ponzi scheme, I had already built a solid understanding of economic structures, having studied monetary history and the fractional reserve banking system. This gave me the background needed to appreciate Bitcoin. **Nyirenda**：I began my research journey with Andreas Antonopoulos's lectures and books, which deeply resonated with me. I was quickly drawn to the philosophy behind Bitcoin. Since then, my focus has been on engaging with others and teaching them about Bitcoin, especially within the context of Malawi. **Nyirenda**：In Malawi, our economic activities face numerous restrictions. The government controls the national fiat currency, limiting what we can do with it. For me, Bitcoin presents a solution to these issues. Today, I remain passionate about educating others about Bitcoin and exploring its potential to transform our economic situation. **YakiHonne**: I witnessed the decline of traditional currencies and realized how Bitcoin could play a role in the future. It's truly fascinating to see how it can be implemented. Could you share how the community was formed, how you attracted members in the early stages, and what challenges you faced along the way? **Nyirenda**：When I first started diving into Bitcoin, I felt like I needed a teacher. So, I printed a T-shirt that said "Bitcoin accepted here" and wore it whenever I went into town or public places. People would often look at me and ask, "Hey, what's Bitcoin?" I could then briefly explain what Bitcoin is and how it compares to the current fiat system. **Nyirenda**：Some people were really interested, to the point that we exchanged contacts and started connecting, and it was a great experience. But the turning point came when I saw a tweet from Bitcoin Boma. Someone tweeted about a conference/seminar being organized, in collaboration with Trezor Academy. When I saw this, I knew this was the place to be. So, last July, I met Grant, Ian Foster, and Nick Twyman, who were organizing the event.  **Nyirenda**：After we introduced ourselves and started connecting, they said, "Hey, join us as part of our coalition, and let's see what we can do with Bitcoin, especially in education." That’s how things started moving forward. It's been an incredible journey because since then, we've managed to graduate about 12 to 15 students. One of the biggest things we’ve done so far is launching the first Bitcoin education course in Malawi, attracting over 120 people. Of course, only some of them are attending the classes, but so far, the progress has been great.  **YakiHonne**: So, what challenges did you face in attracting new members at that stage? **Nyirenda**：The first challenge we face is the attitude and perception of Bitcoin. Bitcoin is a new technology and innovation. In a country where people are used to traditional currencies, there are many financial technologies emerging, including centralized coins. This has created challenges. When people hear about Bitcoin, many think of it as a Ponzi scheme. They believe it's a scam or a way to get rich quickly. What I've observed is that most people fail to understand the difference between Bitcoin and centralized currencies. To truly appreciate Bitcoin, they need to experience it. Setting up a custodial wallet and explaining a transaction to them can help. **Nyirenda**：The second challenge is that people think Bitcoin is too complicated, especially in Africa, and here in Malawi, where the IT and ICT infrastructure is still underdeveloped. I’d say 70% of the population doesn’t have access to the internet. Even in our education system, we don’t learn about computers. It’s mainly by luck if someone has access to a computer and a network, allowing them to appreciate the technology. **YakiHonne**: It seems to be common in many countries, where people think Bitcoin is a quick way to get rich. They see it as a scam or a Ponzi scheme. It's a big challenge to get people to believe in Bitcoin as a currency, rather than just their local currency. This is a real barrier in many economies. What principles guide your community, and how do you maintain trust and reliability in discussions? Simply saying, how do you keep the trust of the people？ **Nyirenda**：I’ll start with Bitcoin BOMA and then extend it to the people we interact with. In Bitcoin BOMA, even though we’re a collaboration, we have clear objectives and a philosophy. Ultimately, we model Bitcoin’s decentralized nature because it allows everyone to participate. In our coalition, we encourage the free flow of ideas and regularly meet to discuss how best to promote Bitcoin education. We focus on its social, economic, and environmental aspects. We assign tasks to each other and work hard to achieve the results. **Nyirenda**：Malawi has great potential, especially in the energy sector, where we could mine Bitcoin, but we lose a lot of electricity during generation. There were attempts to convince government-run institutions to embrace Bitcoin. However, most of these institutions are controlled by the government, and getting into politics is necessary to convince policymakers. It’s been a challenge because government systems are centralized. There’s a hierarchy to follow, and sometimes, even if a minister understands Bitcoin, it takes a long time to get it approved in parliament and passed into law.This has been one of our ongoing initiatives. **Nyirenda**：When I go out and interact with people, especially Malawians, I try to explain the transparency of Bitcoin by showing how a decentralized ledger works and how it’s different from traditional systems. I also explain that Bitcoin is reliable and that mismanagement isn’t possible with a decentralized system. **Nyirenda**：In a country where people are educated in a certain way and believe in competition and power, I often remind them that absolute power corrupts absolutely. I tell them that Bitcoin offers a different space where decentralization allows for a fairer system and benefits everyone. That’s how I try to explain it in simple terms.  **YakiHonne**: how do you educate your members and keep them updated on Bitcoin development time-to-time? **Nyirenda**：For me, learning about Bitcoin is a lifelong process, with always unanswered questions and gaps to fill. I often study, read, and keep an eye on the developments in the Bitcoin community, especially in the African Bitcoin community. My role model is Kenya, particularly how they are enabling people to use Bitcoin through the Tando project. I believe that the value of Bitcoin is not just about holding and waiting for the price to rise, but rather as a tool that can help liberate the world. **Nyirenda**：Bitcoin is not just about accumulating wealth; I focus more on its role as a tool in the free market. Therefore, I continue to learn, even though I'm not a technical expert and my background is not in this field. I have worked in education, so I apply those skills to better understand Bitcoin and how it works. **Nyirenda**：I gather information from various sources to understand how Bitcoin works. At the same time, I compare it with the traditional monetary system, as that’s where I began, and it's my foundational layer. As for the Bitcoin BOMA community, I’m happy to say that we have two members with a strong background in economics. We often share interesting content and sometimes engage in debates. We also share many links and videos, learning from each other. **Nyirenda**：Especially in the Bitcoin Diploma Education Program, I give explanations, and I have peers who help analyze my course content. We remind each other and point out areas that need improvement. We constantly update each other on our progress, ensuring that our activities remain relevant, which helps us continue to improve.  **YakiHonne**: Does Bitcoin Boomer collaborate with the broader Bitcoin ecosystem, and which partnerships have had the greatest impact so far? **Nyirenda**：I'll start with our collaboration with Trezor Academy. Last year, this was one of the most significant partnerships for us in Malawi. Trezor Academy focuses on Bitcoin education, and they provided us with a lot of support. Thanks to this collaboration, we were able to organize a seminar and graduate about 10 to 15 students. It was a major achievement for us. **Nyirenda**：Additionally, one of our members attended the African Bitcoin Conference held in Kenya, which was a pivotal opportunity. He had the chance to interact with Bitcoiners from across Africa. There were special guests, including nostr:npub1sg6plzptd64u62a878hep2kev88swjh3tw00gjsfl8f237lmu63q0uf63m and through this exposure, he met the core developers in Kenya and the Tando developers in South Africa. These collaborations have given us insight into what other Bitcoin communities are doing, especially in their projects. **Nyirenda**：We also had a speaker from Bitcoin Boma who participated in an event in El Salvador. We are working towards making Malawi a Bitcoin node, and he is actively fostering that effort. Big shoutout to Ian Foster for his dedication. He will also be attending a conference in South Africa this January as a guest speaker. These collaborations have been very impactful, and I’m confident that we’ll see the results of these interactions in the future.  **YakiHonne**: So what challenges has your community faced so far and how have you overcome them while maintaining integrity? **Nyirenda**：One of the challenges we face is related to resources, especially when it comes to our learning sessions. We mainly rely on our own resources, and we understand that quality lessons require specific equipment. While we're working toward acquiring these resources, we’re also making the most of what we have. We've agreed to work with what we have, and we believe we can still achieve our objectives. **Nyirenda**：Another challenge is the attitude towards Bitcoin in Malawi. Most people entering the crypto space have a “get rich quick” mentality. They focus more on the outcomes rather than the learning process. Many crypto traders are primarily interested in exploiting the benefits of Bitcoin. This is a challenge, especially when trying to teach people that Bitcoin is not just about making a profit, but also about liberation. Changing the traditional fiat mindset to embrace this new path is not easy. **Nyirenda**：Additionally, many people believe that if they invest their time, they must get a return. This is one of the challenges we're currently dealing with. Financial literacy in Malawi still has a long way to go. While people are aware of how economic shocks, especially currency devaluation, affect them, they often act out of desperation. The market is psychologically driven, and people are constantly looking for shortcuts to protect their wealth. When Bitcoin is introduced, it often raises doubts and skepticism. **Nyirenda**：However, there is no moment of hatred. Instead, we see the growing energy within the community, even if it's just coming from the heart, extending a significant impact on others. There’s a lot of potential and many possibilities ahead. Despite the challenges, we remain hopeful and excited about the future.  **YakiHonne**: In addition to wearing T-shirts and sparking curiosity, what other methods have you adopted to promote Bitcoin, and what results have you seen? **Nyirenda**：First of all, I want to mention the Bitcoin BOMA education diploma program that’s currently running. This is one of the most significant initiatives we have at the moment. We are doing our best to attract people to dive into our education program. So far, the results have been very positive, especially in terms of numbers. People are curious and realize that this is something worth learning. Some have even acknowledged that what they've learned in the traditional education system is very different from the exposure they get from the diploma program. I’d say that’s one of the biggest impacts we've had in promoting Bitcoin. **Nyirenda**：If we have sufficient resources, we plan to implement further actions such as putting up banners, promoting Bitcoin, and positioning Malawi as a Bitcoin hub. Malawi has great potential, particularly in the tourism sector, with many tourists visiting the country. If we display banners saying “We accept Bitcoin,” it would be appreciated by many people. Personally, I’ve been encouraging businesses to start accepting Bitcoin. **Nyirenda**：We also have a Bitcoin BOMA Twitter account where we advocate for Bitcoin. We engage in discussions and comment on trends. In the coming months, we plan to host spaces and aim to conduct them in our local language, so more people can appreciate and learn about Bitcoin. **YakiHonne**: We’ve reached the end of today’s session, and I must say, you’re doing an incredible job at Bitcoin BOMA. Your personal and collaborative efforts are truly impressive. I’m confident that in the next few years, we’ll be visiting Malawi for a Bitcoin conference. It’s clear that Malawi is heading in the right direction with you leading the way.