Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and musician Jay-Z have pledged 500 bitcoin (around $23.3 million) toward ₿trust, an endowment to fund bitcoin development, Dorsey announced on Twitter today.
The CEO said development will initially be focused on teams in Africa and India, but that he and Jay-Z plan to give “zero direction” to the plans.
₿trust is currently looking for three board members, with an application form noting its mission is to “make bitcoin the internet’s currency.”
Africa and India are two interesting markets in which to focus bitcoin development.
As TechCrunch notes, cryptocurrencies have grown increasingly popular throughout the African continent for making cross-border transactions cheaper, and in some cases being resistant to government control.
Nigeria is reportedly second only to the US in terms of the amount of bitcoin traded in the country in the last five years.
JAY-Z/@S_C_ and I are giving 500 BTC to a new endowment named ₿trust to fund #Bitcoin development, initially focused on teams in Africa & India. It‘ll be set up as a blind irrevocable trust, taking zero direction from us. We need 3 board members to start: https://t.co/L4mRBryMJe
— jack (@jack) February 12, 2021
Meanwhile, the Indian government is currently looking to ban private cryptocurrencies in the country, Bloomberg reports, while also investigating the creation of an official digital currency.
TechCrunch notes that cryptocurrency development in the country has been slow, despite its strengths in software development.
Dorsey has been a longtime supporter of cryptocurrency, and this has been reflected in the actions of his companies.
His payments platform company Square has accepted bitcoin as a form of payment since 2014 and announced it had purchased $50 million in bitcoin last year as an investment in cryptocurrency.
At the time, Square said it believed bitcoin could be the currency of the future and that cryptocurrency is an “instrument of economic empowerment.”
Earlier this week, Twitter’s chief financial officer said the company was looking into how it might pay its employees or vendors in bitcoin in the future.
₿trust is the second major bitcoin investment announced this week.
On Monday, Tesla said it had invested $1.5 billion in the cryptocurrency and was hoping to take it as a payment method in the near future.
Latest Stories
-
30 suspects arrested as IGP orders raids on galamsey hotspots in 3 regions
16 minutes -
BlowChem announces price reductions on beverages, effective June 1
1 hour -
When lawmakers themselves appear unwilling to abide by the laws they legislate
5 hours -
Mahama promises 200,000-hectare cocoa expansion to revitalise industry
5 hours -
Communications Minister unveils gov’t’s digital inclusion plan for PWDs
5 hours -
Youth group accuses judiciary of undermining anti-corruption efforts
5 hours -
Parliament recommends ratification of WTO agreement on fisheries subsidies
5 hours -
Ghana to roll out Labour Export Initiative – Mahama announces
5 hours -
Two killed in fatal accident on Bole–Damongo Road
6 hours -
Joseph Ade Coker, former NDC Greater Accra Regional Chairman dies
6 hours -
From Bulldozing to Bail-Begging: Wontumi’s Plot Twist No One Saw Coming
6 hours -
Mahama promises new modern regional hospital for Ahafo Region
6 hours -
Appiagyei-Atua: Protest by Minority over Wontumi’s arrest unnecessary and theatrical
6 hours -
Parliament approves GH¢10bn for NHIA
6 hours -
Martin Kpebu alleges some NPP bigwigs exploiting Wontumi’s arrest for political gain
7 hours