The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) is providing Bitcoin (BTC) bug bounty programs in an effort to enhance both Bitcoin and the Lightning Network.
In an official statement, the organization revealed it has released 10 bounties, each valuing 2 BTC, equivalent to roughly $58,500 given the current exchange rates, to foster the development of Bitcoin and the Lightning Network.
The announcement stated that any individual or group that successfully resolves any of the ten listed challenges will qualify for a 2 BTC bounty.
Furthermore, HRF has indicated on its website that there is a possibility for future addition of more bounties.
A key focus of one of the bug bounty challenges is to enhance the user interface (UI) for Bitcoin projects, which presently are highly dependent on a proprietary design tool known as Figma.
The intention is to equip developers with complimentary access to a Bitcoin UI guide, paving the way for a more simplified and engaging user experience.
A further challenge is directed towards broadening and bolstering the evolution of Nostr, a social network that champions open-source and is resistant to censorship.
Nostr, which enjoys the backing of Jack Dorsey, has been the recipient of considerable interest recently, especially among the crypto community with a strong technical inclination.
Additionally, the Human Rights Foundation (HRF) is providing bounties for improvements to Bitcoin wallets.
A distinct challenge centers around the ability to create and recall seed phrases during border crossings, a typical method employed by users aiming to uphold their privacy and security.
Endorsing this global practice is in line with the HRF’s commitment to advocating financial independence for dissidents and human rights campaigners.
The 20 BTC financial backing for these bounties is sourced from the Bitcoin Development Fund of the HRF, a subsidiary of the organization expressly devoted to promoting financial liberty.
Bitcoin Activists Can Make Submissions Until December 2024
The HRF team has announced that they will accept applications for these bounties until December 31, 2024.
The team stated that all entries will be forwarded to external industry specialists for validation, and any bounties that remain unclaimed will be re-deposited into the HRF’s Bitcoin Development Fund.
This isn’t the inaugural Bitcoin bounty program initiated by the HRF.
In December 2021, the organization joined forces with the Lightning Network payments platform, Strike, for a similar endeavor. The competition comprised three challenges, each valued at 3 BTC, and continued until December 31, 2022.
Through these bug bounties, the HRF seeks to inspire developers to participate in enhancing the usability, privacy, and security of Bitcoin.
“The Human Rights Foundation is committed to backing open-source developers who are striving to enhance the usability and privacy of Bitcoin and the Lightning Network, E-cash, and Nostr. This effort is informed by the HRF’s global research on the necessary functionalities that activists require in their digital tools today,” the team expressed in their latest statement.
