How African refugees used bitcoin to build their own grassroots economy | TechCrunch

They also left most of their belongings behind, so didn’t have the paperwork needed to open new bank accounts or acquire new devices.

“These people lost everything.

“Coming to their aid with bitcoin was a more powerful act than any marketing campaign could be.

She agreed to accept bitcoin using her mobile phone, relying on apps like Wallet of Satoshi and Phoenix Wallet.

“Because she is very excited about the idea of helping people with bitcoin, she is considering the option of bringing a few essential goods closer to the refugees, so they can buy what they need without going too far into town.

Meanwhile, Juvin Kombi, who works at Jikofood Restaurant, was busy this past summer setting up his company’s first Lightning Network node.

“The learning process was very long, but the minimum research we have done has helped us understand bitcoin without any support,” Kombi said.

However, they hope that as more people in the community learn about bitcoin that this payment option will set the small restaurant apart from local competition.

That inspired him to do more research into digital assets, and eventually start his own local crypto news blog.

“The Congolese population is suffering greatly; it never had any stable currency except the U.S.

“In total, 18 people contributed.

Next, Wanzavalere added, he plans to teach beneficiaries how to run a node, like Jikofood Restaurant does, in case they want to help expand the local bitcoin economy to include more small businesses that fully control their own funds.

“We plan to raise more money to help an even larger part of the suffering population,” Wanzavalere concluded.

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