Thread by @BitcoinEkasi

"What tech stack are you using to build a #Bitcoin economy in a #SouthAfrican #township?"

Well, to be perfectly honest, it's not very technical. Not at all.

We risk embarrassing ourselves by describing it, but fortunately we're all here to learn.

So let's dive in!
🧵 👇

First off, as the co-founder of both this project and it's parent organization, @the_surfer_kids, my #Bitcoin education is pretty much comprised of reading @BitcoinMagazine since mid 2013. But I've never been super technical.

My personal interest has always been human-nature.

I run my own full node on an old laptop with @ubuntu and @bitcoincoreorg. I've also played around with a @COLDCARDwallet and setting up full nodes using @getumbrel and @mynodebtc.

But that's it. I'm not a developer. Not at all. And for now, I'm the 'expert-lead' on our team. 🤣

Plus, as we've emphasized before, we're starting small and taking it very very slowly. We're experienced working in this community. We're not taking any chances.

All in all, this project has channeled less than $800 through @the_surfer_kids coaches to 3 shops, over 5 months.

OK. Disclaimer done. So.

On-chain donations come via our website (thesurferkids.com/donate) using @blockonomics_co (a straight-to-wallet payment processor)

On-chain donations are received into a non-custodial @ElectrumWallet or a @wasabiwallet connected to our own full-node.

#LightningNetwork donations are received using @LightningTipB0t (LNURL) and @coinoswallet (LNURL & Lightning Invoice) Both are custodial.

We don't operate our own lightning nodes, not yet, though eventually (assuming there's enough adoption in the community) we definitely will.

From there, we pay our coaches a portion of their weekly salary into their @bluewalletio lightning wallets, which they in turn use to purchase groceries from the #spaza shops we've on-boarded to accept #Bitcoin.

https://twitter.com/BitcoinEkasi/status/1461382517597081601?s=20

For the #spaza shops, we've used @LightningTipB0t to create a lightning wallet and a static LNURL Pay QR code. This code is printed and mounted near the pay point. We then link the @LightningTipB0t wallet to @bluewalletio for a friendlier user interface.

The reason for this odd combination is two fold:

1. Shop owners want to receive payments without creating invoices. Thus the LNURL QR code from @LightningTipB0t
2. @bluewalletio converts #SATs into the local fiat $ZAR PLUS it offers an interface in the local language, XHOSA.

From there, newly on-boarded shop owners sometimes cash out via @VALRdotcom or @paxful

OR, they use @bitrefill and @6dotfifty to purchase goods directly with #Bitcoin

But after some time, we've noticed that shop owners become more interested in #hodling, for now they see #Bitcoin as an opportunity to save and investment. In some cases, for the first time ever.

@MuunWallet allows for very easy conversion between lightning and on-chain #Bitcoin payments, and so we use it to send funds from everyday lightning wallets to a non-custodial on-chain wallet address for longer term savings, for coaches and shop owners.

Many challenges lie ahead. This setup is FAR from perfect. Things like back-ups become tricky in our community. Especially if adoption spreads, which we believe it will.

Longer term, we'd definitely like to adopt the @Bitcoinbeach community-bank model, developed by @GaloyMoney

But having done things with only 'off-the-shelf' software, holds value too.

It proves how far #Bitcoin has come. We salute all the developers working on the #Bitcoin and #Lightning networks.

Thank you 🙏🤲🙇

You're providing immense value to a community that needs it.

We can never repay you. And we don't have the skill to contribute on a technical level.

But we can help prove that your hard work was worth it.

By spreading #Bitcoin and #LightningNetwork adoption in a real world setting.

Please feel free to leave suggestions, if you have any. We're always looking for ways to improve.

But please just bear in mind that little disclaimer🙂😋😊