Bitcoin maker climbs Africa’s tallest mountain to raise awareness

A Bitcoin (BTC) teacher in Tanzania has scaled Africa's highest peak, Kilimanjaro, funding the entire trip with Bitcoin and Nostr donations.

Quex (not his real name) plunked down more than $1,700 in Bitcoin (0.0018 BTC) to cover the cost of the walk, which doubled as an advertisement for a new Bitcoin education academy in Tanzania.

Kwex and his wife recently moved to a new town in Tanzania to open a learning center called Proof of Work Academy, or POWA. Quex told Cointelegraph that POWA, the proof-of-work on Bitcoin's consensus protocol, refers to the Swahili word “Poah,” which means fresh or cool.

To promote the new school and subtly suggest decentralized protocols including Bitcoin and Nostr (notes and other things that are relayed), Quakes blasted the transition to about 6,000 meters in satoshis, or sats, which are the smallest Bitcoin equivalent of 100 millionths of 1 BTC.

Bitcoin Lightning Network Donations are released from around the world via real money and Zapresing on the Gyser Fund, which is the Bitcoin Lightning Network powered by Nostro (also called Zips).

Quex waved a giant Nostr flag while sharing status updates during the multi-day trek on X, Nostr and WhatsApp. Speaking from Tanzania, Kwex told Cointelegraph that while the money raised was meaningful to cover the cost of the summit, the impact was primarily educational:

“I thought. [the ascent] It will be a good case study to show what Bitcoin can do and then introduce some people to Bitcoin.

The release showed the local community that Nostrike's global base (Nostre users) and generous Bitcoin advocates around the world are happy to support Kweks' climbing and educational work in Tanzania.

Kwex also received a tip from one of the leaders leading the party to “Kili”, as it is known locally, indicating grassroots Bitcoin adoption in Tanzania.

Kwex notes that there is some awareness of Bitcoin in Tanzania – but one of the key challenges is being outside the local currency. Exchanges like Coinbase, Kraken, and Gemini don't work in Tanzania, so exchanging money for Bitcoin and vice versa can be challenging.

Throughout the walk, he asked how Quex supported his adventure and asked, “What is Bitcoin?” He received questions and surprising comments from Tanzanians.

Finally, Bitcoin adoption in Tanzania is very different from the UK, where Quex spent 25 years of his life before moving to Tanzania.

Related: Hashing It Out: What happens when crypto meets fintech in Africa?

He explains that there is more of a barter system in East Africa. It can be challenging to explain money and hyperinflation, and why a currency with programmed inflation like Bitcoin offers society an alternative economic system.

“When I arrived in Tanzania ten years ago, $1 was 1,500 Tanzanian shillings. From today [$1 equals] 2,600. It's ten years later. It's crazy!”

Ultimately, the key to unlocking Bitcoin education is using words that people can relate to: “I tell them how much bread costs and how much gas costs, and they understand that,” Quakes explains.

“They see that it is difficult to make ends meet. So with these concepts, they understand that the Bitcoin tool can help them – and that's what it does. This is work that deserves to be shared and explored.

Quex continues to post and share educational resources on Nostr and X, and the educational resource POWA provides free education classes to Tanzanians near Kilimanjaro.

Magazine: Bitcoin in Senegal: Why is this African country using BTC?