Student of Bitcoin

Cairo to Cape: ONLY 2 DAYS TO GO!!

It's all up to my illustrator right now.

Here is the inside of the book, which captures a design element from each of the 10 countries.

Which one do you like the most? https://blossom.primal.net/6baef48e7891c2dfb29ab5fb039b0ad2d50554e61a078720bb948824fd50baf6.png

Cairo to Cape: T-5 days

Website has been updated!

Take a look and get access to the first chapter 📖

www.cairotocape.com

Cairo to Cape: T-6 days

Manuscript is ready, now it's all up to my illustrator!

He sent me a sample of what the book would look like. It's called typesetting (TIL)

What do you think? https://blossom.primal.net/0a7faeb66b93a2de14e1cbcf4e875258540c1337f8395a96602580380a50b329.mov

CairotoCape: T-7 days to go

My editor finished the manuscript! 🥳

I've been reviewing it on my @daylightco realizing how many small things I've missed out on because I wasn't using ‘pen and paper’

Some more edits and it’s all up to the illustrator. Going to be a close call 😅

Was editing in a moving car so writing looks like scribbles 😰

Cairo to Cape: T-10 days to go!

New illustration alert: Anuja and I am climbing Sapitwa, the tallest peak in Malawi.

Did you know Sapitwa means 'Do not come here' in Chichewa?

Our guide didn't tell us this until we came back to the base camp lol

Cairo to Cape: T-11 days 😱

Not as much progress on my end as I was learning so much in Oslo.

Editing is nearly done, and illustrations are nearing completion as well.

Here we are at JuicyB (Uganda) when it opened in 2024

Will share more tmr! https://blossom.primal.net/125168523efcb0b0fb56ec9eba7dae7fe66bf2d0d7ab751ceadc428e7dd8ed9b.png

CairotoCape Book T-22 days

Printed a draft with the new illustrations of each country.

Each one captures a design element from that region, along with some facts of the country.

CairotoCape Book T-23 days

Launched a website for the book, please check out the initial version, more work to be done!

Would appreciate any feedback.

www.cairotocape.com

PS. it's black and white for a reason to match the books' design :)

CairotoCape Book T-28 days

My illustrator received bitcoin via

and paid himself in Kenyan Shillings using

He finished the call with "Now I'm interested!"

As bitcoin becomes usable in everyday life, adoption is inevitable.

Cairo2Cape Book T-minus 30 days

Heard from my illustrator, he's still committed to this project! I was concerned I might need to find someone else.

Editing is moving slowly; a few more gaps need to be fixed.

Check out the v1 design for intro'ing Egypt https://blossom.primal.net/0ace458f21f81c740043b4672230458956b765356e8ed9103f18f0cc6d3b1b55.png

Cairo2Cape T minus 34 days

Reviewed the entire manuscript; the second half isn't landing, and Anuja's arc isn't clear. There is soo much to do 🤯

To top it off, no progress from the illustrator.

Have to close the week strongly!

I'm only four months into my India adventure, and have lots more to learn.

Shout out to

for willing to discuss this topic.

More to come from India this year 😎

Cario@Cape: T-minus 38 days

No idea what happens when the book is done. I take it to Nairobi and then what?

I don't want to have a 'book launch.'

Thoughts on hiding an easter egg in the book that leads to a seed phrase? A treasure hunt...🤔

Cario@Cape: T-minus 39 days

A little concerned because I've done what I can so far. This book heavily relies on the editor and illustrator to meet the timelines.

Woke up feeling quite anxious, need to remain patient and not rush them.

Cairo2Cape Book Update.

My personal deadline is June 17th, so 40 days to go!

Worked on the edits for the prologue (Jordan) and got this cover design from the illustrator today.

What do you think?

The subheading is still a work in progress.... https://blossom.primal.net/f1642527eeffc15ac8d0c802579d451ce1799657381cd27b41ebf7faecc0e1c5.png

I have 6 weeks left to get this done before I head to BTC Nairobi

Why the hurry? It's my first time back in Africa since our life-changing trip, and I can't think of a better opportunity to launch this.

🙏

for checking in and helping me stay course!

PS. This is NOT a book about Bitcoin. There are plenty of those.

This is meant to highlight Africa, a deeply misunderstood continent (NOT country!). I hope to share the people, the sights and communities we fell in love with.

I'll post daily updates, leading up to the final due date I have in mind, June 15th. https://blossom.primal.net/2bdcfd55dba0d5d6ffd27e19a9ff7dd00edb007b57cacda7d1e694a51dbaadc9.jpg

India is almost invisible on the global Bitcoin stage. We export talent but don’t build visible Bitcoin brands.

This accelerator was an attempt to change that.

Here is what 9 teams built over 12 weeks with 0.1 BTC on the line.....

• You can buy a car, a house, and a cell phone with EMIs in India. Why not Bitcoin? 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁 by https://www.swapso.io/

• UPI rules this country. Everyone has a barcode for payments; use Bitcoin at 65,000,000 merchants via 𝟮𝟱𝟲𝗗! https://app.256d.in

• Bitcoin lives online, so how do you build trust? 𝗕𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲 Bitcoin brands get in front of 1.5B+ Indians, in person. https://www.bitcoincierge.in/

• The West dominates Bitcoin hardware; 𝗕𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗮 wants to challenge that. https://bitasha.com/

• Every Bitcoin wallet today looks like a Bitcoin wallet. 𝗖𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸 turned a feature phone into a Bitcoin wallet. https://www.cryobrick.com/

• 𝗘𝗽𝗼𝗰𝗵 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱 is rethinking digital identity, so one breach doesn’t expose everything. https://epochshield.com

• UX and design are a big bottleneck in this ecosystem. 𝗛𝗢𝗗𝗟 solves that https://x.com/HODLdesign

• How do you track them: risk, seniority, coverage, etc., for Bitcoin credit products? 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁 makes it easier to compare and understand what’s right for you. https://substack.com/@digantbhujbal

• Self-custody is still intimidating for most people. 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝘆𝗢𝗦 helps individuals and businesses hold Bitcoin and think about inheritance https://treasuryos.netlify.app/

Huge shoutout to Bitshala hosting the pitch day and giving these teams a real stage.

If any of these teams resonate, please reach out. Capital, talent, or feedback all matter. https://blossom.primal.net/012123f62dca39936a5c672bc203c5c256f3809f10021798437f9228c852b645.jpg

India's first Bitcoin accelerator 🥳 https://blossom.primal.net/df0d5db1d288a84981e9e930f332969eed9368d04b31a11958a377b63759818a.mov

I struggled to get my wife to understand Bitcoin until she saw it for herself. Using it as money changed the game!

A participant from the accelerator called me out.

"You're doing a poor job of highlighting the program. One social update a week is not enough!” he said.

The fact is, he's right, and I have to accept this criticism. I've been pushing these participants for 10 weeks, so it's only fair that they push me as well.

He's challenged me to post a video daily until the program finishes on April 5th, so that's 21 videos in total.

“Single take, no edits, raw, unfiltered, Santosh” is what he asked for.

He has a background in film production, so he knows a thing or two about videos.

We're already 2 days in with 19 more to go. You can find these videos on my Youtube channel (linked in comments). What started as an avenue to share my Bitcoin visual notes, then captured interviews during our travels and is now an accelerator vlog.

To be honest, I felt refreshed after recording the two videos. I didn't have to ask ChatGPT for a viral hook, a click-baity thumbnail or a description. I turned the camera on and just spoke until I got tired of listening to myself, like the good old vlog days.

I'm curious. Do you think unedited raw footage will gain appreciation in this age of AI and highly curated content?

When you realize India has 65M+ UPI merchants, this is super powerful!

Weeks 7 and 8 at the accelerator program were all about the narrative and pitch practice.

It’s one thing to build.

It’s another thing to explain it all in less than 5 minutes. Our teams are learning this the hard way!

Four more weeks to go! https://blossom.primal.net/a4ed351f27335752e208cc8d5f6856fac7107fa2cbbedd8971601d1ab15599d9.mov

Our Pitch Day is locked in!

The 9 teams will pitch to a panel of judges on Sunday, April 5th, from the foothills of the Himalayas (Dharamshala). 0.1 BTC is up for grabs

Shout out to Bitshala for hosting us at their Summit.

If you'd like to take part or support the Pitch Day, feel free to reach out. https://blossom.primal.net/540fec2b444bd52a9478602e298268f6aa91b25e9cef0b4a91e76413b0b335b2.mov

🚨 Accelerator Program - Week 6 Update 🚨

The teams will start rehearsing their pitches.

What is your go-to advice when it comes to pitch presentations!?

I'm sure the participants would appreciate any feedback. https://blossom.primal.net/9e4ebfae03771c2aa09fb5b883a837c55dde53141f9a1235da647708c619c506.mov

Although it's been five weeks since we kicked off the accelerator, I've been meaning to do this for a while.

Here is a story of how it all started.

https://yakihonne.com/article/naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzqnuzhnk5ykz2dt8ua54x2766e27ylyxht22760lc3remqjuf9p3sqywhwumn8ghj7mn0wd68ytfsxyh8jcttd95x7mnwv5hxxmmd9uq36amnwvaz7tmwdaehgu3dxqezu7tpdd5ksmmwdejjucm0d5hsq9fdvep563n22q642jzdv3k45ez224uhzcm2ge7l80

🚨 Accelerator Program - Month 1 Update 🚨

Teams will be dropping one update a week!

Check them out below 👇

Running an accelerator program in India has been exciting! The teams are smart and driven. I mean, India does export a ton of tech talent ;)

‘Solutioning’ comes easy. Being clear on what not to build has been tough! This is where I’ve been playing the villain, asking hard questions.

“If you launched only one feature, what would it be?” or my favourite, “Can you explain this to a person not aware of bitcoin?”

This week, they focus on distribution. You could be a potential user of theirs.

What would you want to know about the teams? https://blossom.primal.net/edf66d7c9ea9c194b5b729479becfd0826407332df893732e50323df27d89612.mov

It’s a pleasure to introduce the teams for the Student of Bitcoin Accelerator.

These teams were picked because they’re working on real problems in the Indian and global Bitcoin landscape.

The goal: give builders and tinkerers the structure to figure out if their idea is a pet project or has the potential to become a sustainable business.

We have 12 weeks to find out!

Success here isn’t about raising money. It’s about clarity on what comes next. https://blossom.primal.net/71e60c8e7b2cc7491ea3f99fdeaa2458947f0a19540d00dc6426f879af5708f7.png

Accelerator Program Week 1 Update

Watching nine teams work through their problem definitions last week was a good reminder that clarity and specificity are not easy to achieve.

Narrowing down is hard but necessary.

https://primal.net/e/nevent1qqsyh9dwzyl4xmawg8as8r3ev2kkaylsud53r6el7ruys4csyhmhpwctcf4ca https://blossom.primal.net/99763b63cd22fc33f7ac17f0c281fbc7bc9d380fbb0d8f65e20d8db1786871bf.mov

Can you explain Bitcoin's scarcity or the halving without using any big words?

If you can't, this one is for you!

I use simple analogies relating an individual's interests or profession to convey Bitcoin's attributes.

https://rumble.com/v71axoi-how-to-introduce-bitcoin-without-the-buzzwords.html

Happy New Year, everyone!!

I recently had the privilege of attending the

Summit in Goa and meeting the Indian builders in person.

Young, hungry, and talented.

invited me to judge a pitch competition, and I was blown away by the products and solutions presented.

It made me wonder how I could better support these entrepreneurs. Although I have a lot to learn myself, I plan to put my time and money where my mouth is.

I will be organizing a part-time remote accelerator to help early-stage ideas become clear, grounded and pitch-ready as long as it leverages Bitcoin.

Bitcoin doesn’t always have to be the main course. Sometimes it’s the spice.

The program runs for 12 weeks, ends with a pitch day and a chance to win up to 10M sats in funding.

We kicked off this week with 9 teams in total! Excited to share our progress each week and showcase what's happening in India.

Stay tuned!!

PS. feel free to reach out if you'd like to learn more, help out, or even be a mentor.

Unpopular opinion: The term ‘Bitcoiner’ might be scaring people away.

It gives us a community and sense of belonging. It also builds walls and alienates others who are curious.

Could a label meant for identity also become a gatekeeper?

Find out in my latest article.

The last two weeks in India has been a blessing!

We had plenty quality time with the family to celebrate a birthday. Ate our way through chettinad cuisine. Eating on a banana leaf hits differently.

Can’t forget the temples, each one an architectural wonder. One from my dads hometown dates back to 1010 AD 🤯

It was also refreshing to be able to speak Tamil on a daily basis!

I even managed to fit in a Bitcoin meet up amongst all of us 😎

spitting major facts on the misconceptions and realities in the Middle East and Africa

Went to a coffee and paint workshop yesterday and painted my rendition of ‘seeing the world with an orange lens’

Inspired from SPC

https://wavlake.com/track/3430b377-4052-4269-8feb-a2d439d45e3b

The original verse “See the world through a purple lens with an orange blend”

Anyone from Japan here?

We plan on visiting for a few months in the summer and would love to connect!

Opened up the soap bar to find a good chunk of the bottom missing!

A shrinkflation story 😰

WTF!!!!!

How do let go of Luka 😓

Are there any nostr conferences/gatherings planned this year?

Dom Bei with the hilarious (summer movie trailer) intro for this panel at Plan B El Salvador

Landed in El Salvador and paid for our visas in bitcoin 🤯

Got picked up by @Napoleon Osorio and the Bit Driver team 🚘

Will report back on adoption of Bitcoin within the area 🤞🏽

15 months ago we made our way to Egypt, our first time in Africa. Since then, we've traveled overland to Cape Town visiting 10 countries along the way to learn how each community uses #bitcoin.

🇪🇬🇪🇹🇰🇪🇺🇬🇷🇼🇹🇿🇲🇼🇿🇲🇧🇼🇿🇦

We've met the most kind and giving humans along the way and had the opportunity to connect with them at the African Bitcoin Conference.

One post won't do justice so I will share highlights in the coming days.

We're now leaving Africa and it feels bittersweet. We will be back and look forward to the day we land again on this beautiful continent!

The culture king of #Bitcoin @440UrPp using crosswords at the Africa Bitcoin Conference to highlight our progress in the space!

This man thinks differently 🧐

#abc24

spitting truth at the Africa Bitcoin Conference in Nairobi

“Remove apps from our lives that no company and no country can corrupt”

“We have the agency to choose what we follow”

“This takes decision and work”

“Study Hip Hop while coding for Bitcoin” 😎

We landed in Egypt 14 months ago and made our way to Cape Town across the eastern coastline of Africa 🇪🇬🇪🇹🇰🇪🇺🇬🇷🇼🇹🇿🇲🇼🇿🇲🇧🇼🇿🇦

We’re on our final stop to spend the African Bitcoin Conference in Nairobi!

Excited to meet like minded people and learn how we can bring bitcoin to the masses.

If you’re here early, hit us up!

New community alert in Mohlakeng, Johannesburg!

We had such a great time at Mohlakeng Johannesburg. Check out his community next time you're in this area!

naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzqnuzhnk5ykz2dt8ua54x2766e27ylyxht22760lc3remqjuf9p3sqq2hwvryweg9j5j2gfpxstt6fuknx726fp64vfe7ugu