The Pomp Podcast
#936 Abubakar Nur Khalil On Bringing Bitcoin Development To Africa
- Abubakar Nur Khalil is CEO and CTO of Recursive Capital and sits on the Bitcoin Trust board alongside Jack Dorsey, working to fund Bitcoin infrastructure globally.
- Bitcoin adoption in Africa has shifted from speculation to practical use cases like remittances, commerce, and lightning network integration, particularly among younger demographics.
- Language translation, education, and accessibility are critical barriers; material locked in English excludes multilingual populations who need Bitcoin most.
- Developer recruitment and retention is a major challenge because competing blockchain projects offer larger grant programs, drawing talent away from Bitcoin-only work.
- The Galah program provides practical Bitcoin development training and job placement for developers across Africa, with 13 current participants graduating into Bitcoin jobs.
- Infrastructure gaps including inconsistent energy availability and substandard internet connectivity require investment in mesh networking and resilient alternatives.