India is almost invisible on the global Bitcoin stage. We export talent but don’t build visible Bitcoin brands.

This accelerator was an attempt to change that.

Here is what 9 teams built over 12 weeks with 0.1 BTC on the line.....

- You can buy a car, a house, and a cell phone with EMIs in India. Why not Bitcoin? 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁 by https://www.swapso.io/

- UPI rules this country. Everyone has a barcode for payments; use Bitcoin at 65,000,000 merchants via 𝟮𝟱𝟲𝗗! https://app.256d.in

- Bitcoin lives online, so how do you build trust? 𝗕𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲 Bitcoin brands get in front of 1.5B+ Indians, in person. https://www.bitcoincierge.in/

- The West dominates Bitcoin hardware; 𝗕𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗮 wants to challenge that. https://bitasha.com/

- Every Bitcoin wallet today looks like a Bitcoin wallet. 𝗖𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸 turned a feature phone into a Bitcoin wallet. https://www.cryobrick.com/

- 𝗘𝗽𝗼𝗰𝗵 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱 is rethinking digital identity, so one breach doesn’t expose everything. https://epochshield.com

- UX and design are a big bottleneck in this ecosystem. 𝗛𝗢𝗗𝗟 solves that https://x.com/HODLdesign

- How do you track them: risk, seniority, coverage, etc., for Bitcoin credit products? 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁 makes it easier to compare and understand what’s right for you. https://substack.com/@digantbhujbal

- Self-custody is still intimidating for most people. 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝘆𝗢𝗦 helps individuals and businesses hold Bitcoin and think about inheritance https://treasuryos.netlify.app/

Huge shoutout to Bitshala hosting the pitch day and giving these teams a real stage.

If any of these teams resonate, please reach out. Capital, talent, or feedback all matter.

India's first Bitcoin accelerator 🥳

I struggled to get my wife to understand Bitcoin until she saw it for herself. Using it as money changed the game! naddr1qvzq...

A participant from the accelerator called me out.

"You're doing a poor job of highlighting the program. One social update a week is not enough!” he said.

The fact is, he's right, and I have to accept this criticism. I've been pushing these participants for 10 weeks, so it's only fair that they push me as well.

He's challenged me to post a video daily until the program finishes on April 5th, so that's 21 videos in total.

“Single take, no edits, raw, unfiltered, Santosh” is what he asked for.

He has a background in film production, so he knows a thing or two about videos.

We're already 2 days in with 19 more to go. You can find these videos on my Youtube channel (linked in comments). What started as an avenue to share my Bitcoin visual notes, then captured interviews during our travels and is now an accelerator vlog.

To be honest, I felt refreshed after recording the two videos. I didn't have to ask ChatGPT for a viral hook, a click-baity thumbnail or a description. I turned the camera on and just spoke until I got tired of listening to myself, like the good old vlog days.

I'm curious. Do you think unedited raw footage will gain appreciation in this age of AI and highly curated content?

When you realize India has 65M+ UPI merchants, this is super powerful!

Weeks 7 and 8 at the accelerator program were all about the narrative and pitch practice.

It’s one thing to build.

It’s another thing to explain it all in less than 5 minutes. Our teams are learning this the hard way!

Four more weeks to go!

Our Pitch Day is locked in!

The 9 teams will pitch to a panel of judges on Sunday, April 5th, from the foothills of the Himalayas (Dharamshala). 0.1 BTC is up for grabs

Shout out to Bitshala for hosting us at their Summit.

If you'd like to take part or support the Pitch Day, feel free to reach out.

🚨 Accelerator Program - Week 6 Update 🚨

The teams will start rehearsing their pitches.

What is your go-to advice when it comes to pitch presentations!?

I'm sure the participants would appreciate any feedback.

Although it's been five weeks since we kicked off the accelerator, I've been meaning to do this for a while.

Here is a story of how it all started.

https://yakihonne.com/article/naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzqnuzhnk5ykz2dt8ua54x2766e27ylyxht22760lc3remqjuf9p3sqywhwumn8ghj7mn0wd68ytfsxyh8jcttd95x7mnwv5hxxmmd9uq36amnwvaz7tmwdaehgu3dxqezu7tpdd5ksmmwdejjucm0d5hsq9fdvep563n22q642jzdv3k45ez224uhzcm2ge7l80

🚨 Accelerator Program - Month 1 Update 🚨

Teams will be dropping one update a week!

Check them out below 👇