My First Bitcoin, a nonprofit focused on grassroots Bitcoin education, just announced they are receiving a $1 million grant from Start Small. This funding will help scale efforts to provide free, open source Bitcoin education for the world.
“The revolution of Bitcoin education is that it teaches students HOW to think, not WHAT to think,” said Founder and Executive Director of My First Bitcoin John Dennehy. “Funding from sources with their own incentives is the greatest vulnerability that threatens that. Education will be captured by whoever funds it. We will never take any government money and frequently turn down funding from corporations and companies. The subtle influence of funding has ruined fiat education and we need to create alternative models for the revolution of Bitcoin education to realize its full potential.”
This grant gives My First Bitcoin the ability to expand its reach and improve tools like the Bitcoin Diploma, Intro Course, and teacher training workshops. It also strengthens their Online School and Community Hub, making Bitcoin education more accessible to people everywhere.
This funding is not just a milestone—it’s a statement. As Dennehy added, “My First Bitcoin is a proof-of-concept for all independent Bitcoin educators that if you stay on the mission, even when it’s challenging, then you will come out the other side even stronger.”
My First Bitcoin started in 2021 as a small local project. Since then, it’s grown into a global movement. Over the years, the team has taught tens of thousands of students in-person, testing and refining materials based on real-world feedback.Â
In 2022, My First Bitcoin awarded Bitcoin diplomas to 38 high school students in El Salvador. As part of the program, the students had 10 lessons which included the introduction to monetary systems, the consequences of fiat, monetary history, understanding bitcoin, wallets and the Bitcoin network, the double-spend problem and nodes, security and mining, the value of bitcoin, the Lightning Network and Bitcoin’s future, and the final project.Â
In 2023, the organization launched the Independent Bitcoin Educators Node Network—now with over 65 projects across more than 35 countries. These include circular economies, meetup groups, and other local Bitcoin projects. What unites them is their shared commitment to six core values: “that their education is independent, impartial, community-led, Bitcoin-only, quality, and focused on empowerment over profit.”
“Open source money deserves open source education. Over the past few years, we’ve seen growing demand for our resources around the world, and we remain committed to serving everyone in the Bitcoin space who needs support,” said Director of Communications at My First Bitcoin Arnold Hubach.