The Story of BTC Shule

My name is ₿elyï No₿el. When I first discovered Bitcoin in 2020, I became captivated by its potential to reshape finance and empower communities. This fascination led me to explore Bitcoin deeply, eventually evolving into a role as a Bitcoin educator and writer.

I integrated Bitcoin education into the curriculum of Free Tech Institute, an NGO I founded to equip Burundian youth with vital digital skills. However, my vision transformed at the Adopting Bitcoin Cape Town conference in 2024, where I witnessed firsthand the power of a circular economy based on Bitcoin.

My visit to communities like Bitcoin Ekasi in Mossel Bay, Bitcoin Witstad and Bitcoin Loxion in South Africa highlighted Bitcoin’s potential to create economic resilience in regions with high inflation and economic instability. Inspired by this, I launched BTC Shule (meaning "school" in many African languages, including Kirundi), not just as an educational initiative but as a project to build a circular economy in Burundi, centered on Bitcoin as an alternative currency.

BTC Shule is pioneering a Bitcoin-powered circular economy in Winteko, Burundi, by leveraging Bitcoin to foster financial inclusion, renewable energy access, and education. The initiative aims to transform Winteko into a decentralized, financially autonomous community.

By integrating Bitcoin with sustainable practices, BTC Shule seeks to create a replicable model for development across Africa — one where communities are not just connected to global finance, but also self-sovereign and future-ready.