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Financial Freedom Report #102

Last week, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, an international recognition of her decades-long efforts for democracy, human dignity, and free elections in Venezuela.

#Bitcoin#Financial Freedom#Human Rights#Freedom Tech

Good morning, readers!

Turning to the tools that make such resistance possible, global nonprofit Save the Children announced the launch of a new Bitcoin Fund, becoming one of the first major international NGOs to integrate Bitcoin into its operations and aid delivery.

Additionally, MetaMask, one of the most popular crypto wallets, added native Bitcoin support. This will enable activists and dissidents among its reported 30 million monthly users to self-custody Bitcoin more easily and expand access to financial freedom under authoritarian regimes.

We conclude with the full livestream recordings from the 2025 Africa Bitcoin Conference, which capture conversations between developers, human rights defenders, and policymakers about how Bitcoin is advancing financial freedom across the continent.

Now, let’s examine the stories behind the headlines.

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GLOBAL NEWS

Venezuela | María Corina Machado Awarded Nobel Peace Prize

María Corina Machado, Venezuela’s opposition leader and one of Latin America’s strongest voices for democracy, was awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize last week in Oslo, Norway. The Nobel Committee recognized her decades-long struggle for free elections and human dignity in a country where nearly one-third of citizens have been forced into exile. Her daughter, Ana Corina Sosa Machado, accepted the prize on her behalf. Machado has been a vocal supporter of Bitcoin as a tool of financial resistance as Nicolás Maduro’s dictatorship erodes the value of the bolívar, restricts access to alternatives, and tightens financial control over NGOs and dissidents.

Russia | Increased Cash Use Amid Internet Outages and Financial Controls

Russia has seen an increase in cash circulation, with the volume of cash in use rising by 659 billion rubles ($8.4 billion) between July and September. This is in part due to Internet outages in more than 50 regions, which have made online payment systems less reliable. Some areas, like Ulyanovsk, have cut off all mobile internet until the end of Russia’s war in Ukraine. Russians are also withdrawing cash to avoid heightened bank and tax scrutiny from the Kremlin, which has allowed officials to monitor personal accounts, block cards, and flag transfers. The trend reflects growing public distrust of state-controlled financial rails and the shrinking space for privacy in Russia.

Cuba | Former Economy Minister Sentenced to Life in Espionage Case

Cuba’s top court sentenced former economy minister Alejandro Gil Fernández to life in prison in a high-profile espionage case. Fernández served as Minister of Economy from 2018 to 2024, was appointed Deputy Prime Minister in 2019, and was a close ally of President Miguel Díaz-Canel. Officials did not disclose for whom he was accused of spying or provide details about his guilty verdict in a separate trial for bribery, document falsification, and tax evasion, showing the opaque nature of prosecutions in Cuba. Gil oversaw the island’s 2021 monetary overhaul, which sought to unify Cuba’s dual-currency system but ultimately further contributed to severe inflation and economic instability. The non-transparent nature of the case and harsh punishment deflect blame for the regime’s monetary mismanagement and Cuba’s deteriorating financial conditions.

BRICS | Digital Currency Launched

The BRICS monetary bloc has launched a working prototype of a digital currency known as the “Unit,” backed by a basket of precious metals and BRICS national currencies. The first 100 Units were issued in a pilot led by Russia’s Institute for Economic Strategies. The BRICS bloc includes many authoritarian or hybrid authoritarian regimes that use capital controls, censorship, and financial surveillance to manage dissent. A state-designed, programmable digital currency rail used across multiple authoritarian states could harden those powers.

In Context: For civil society, journalists, and dissidents operating in BRICS member or partner states, this could mean fewer neutral rails, more surveillance, and greater vulnerability to transnational financial repression.

Iran | Rial Record Low Prompts Rush to Store of Value Assets

As the local rial currency sinks to record lows, Iranians are seeking to move their savings into portable stores of value. Demand for gold, dollars, diamonds, and digital assets has surged as rapid currency depreciation fuels inflation and pushes up prices for food and other daily necessities. Recent gasoline price changes have added further pressure on household budgets. Bearer assets like gold and Bitcoin hold value when local currencies depreciate and can be transported in times of crisis when traditional banking systems fail. This makes them a popular choice for Iranians struggling under the weight of a collapsing currency, rising prices, and stringent capital controls.

BITCOIN AND FREEDOM TECH NEWS

Save the Children | Bitcoin Fund Launched

Save the Children, a global humanitarian organization protecting children’s rights, announced the creation of a Bitcoin Fund. The initiative aims to improve how financial support is “held, managed, and delivered in times of crisis.” Save the Children will hold the bitcoin donated to its fund for up to four years to maximize the value of the donation by taking advantage of the currency’s historical price appreciation. It will also test a platform using Bitcoin and digital wallets to deliver cash and voucher assistance. Save the Children, which first accepted bitcoin donations in 2013 and which collaborated with HRF to launch the Bitcoin Humanitarian Alliance, says these tools can strengthen emergency response and long-term development programs when foreign funding is slow or disrupted.

Why this matters: The move marks one of the most significant adoptions of a Bitcoin strategy by a global nonprofit, showing how open, peer-to-peer financial rails can support humanitarian operations.

MetaMask | Bitcoin Support Added

MetaMask, one of the most popular crypto wallets, rolled out native Bitcoin support, allowing its reported 30 million monthly users to buy, send, receive, and manage bitcoin directly within the wallet. This update removes the need for separate wallets or wrapped Bitcoin (which allows Bitcoin to be used on other blockchain systems), bringing Bitcoin and the financial freedom that accompanies it into MetaMask’s multi-chain ecosystem.

Why this matters: For activists, nonprofits, and users in restrictive environments, native Bitcoin support lowers the friction to access permissionless and censorship-resistant financial rails. MetaMask’s direct Bitcoin integration expands the number of pathways people have to hold and transact in money that operates outside authoritarian-controlled financial systems.

PlebQR | Pay in Bitcoin in Thailand

A tool called PlebQR enables anyone in Thailand to pay PromptPay QR codes (a popular Thai digital payment system) with Bitcoin. It works by matching two users: one who wants to spend bitcoin, and another who wants to buy bitcoin. The shopper scans the merchant’s PromptPay QR code and pays a Lightning invoice through PlebQR. The bitcoin buyer then pays the merchant in Thai baht on the shopper’s behalf and receives the bitcoin in return. The merchant gets paid as usual, the shopper spends bitcoin, and the bitcoin buyer receives satoshis without going through an exchange.

Why this matters: PromptPay is deeply integrated with state monitoring and centralized banking controls. PlebQR creates a new payment path that enables permissionless spending, reduces reliance on traditional exchanges, and provides people in Thailand with a low-friction way to access BTC even if they don't have a bank account or ID.

Blue Wallet | Support for Taproot Wallets and Coin Control Released

Blue Wallet, an open-source Bitcoin wallet, released wallet features that make Bitcoin more private and easier to manage. The features include Taproot support, which improves privacy by making different types of Bitcoin transactions appear identical on the blockchain. This obfuscates differences between privacy-enhancing and everyday transactions. The wallet also added Taproot coin control, which gives users a choice over the exact funds they spend from their wallet, further improving privacy.

Why this matters: Together, these updates provide everyday users and dissidents with stronger, sovereign tools to manage their bitcoin privately, securely, and independently.

Chaincode | Applications Open for BOSS Challenge

Chaincode Labs, a Bitcoin research and development center, opened applications for the BOSS Challenge. This structured program is designed to help new developers begin contributing to Bitcoin’s open-source ecosystem. It combines a curated curriculum, hands-on coding exercises, and direct mentorship from experienced Bitcoin contributors. The goal is to equip new contributors with both the technical skills and self-directed mindset needed to pursue long-term roles in Bitcoin development. More information can be found here. Developers from anywhere, including inside authoritarian regimes, are encouraged to apply.

Why this matters: Bitcoin’s resilience relies on a strong, diverse base of open-source contributors. Programs like the BOSS Challenge help develop the next generation of builders who will maintain, secure, and improve the Bitcoin protocol.

Bitcoin DADA | New Open Source Website

Bitcoin DADA, an educational initiative supporting African women in Bitcoin, especially under autocratic societies, is rebuilding its website and opening the process to its community. The team is asking builders, educators, developers, and designers to suggest features, resources, and improvements that would make the platform an open, collaborative hub that reflects the voices and needs of African women entering the Bitcoin space. Anyone can offer anonymous feedback through their public form, helping shape a platform that strengthens education, inclusion, and grassroots Bitcoin adoption.