Trezor launches education initiative in Africa, funds Bitcoineta trip

The hardware cryptocurrency wallet firm Trezor has continued its efforts to promote Bitcoin (BTC $41,513) education globally by launching a new educational initiative in Africa.

The Trezor Academy was officially launched at the Trezor-backed Africa Bitcoin Conference in Ghana’s capital of Accra on Dec. 4, the firm announced to Cointelegraph.

The academy is an educational program focused on spreading Bitcoin knowledge in Africa. Previously launched as a pilot in 2023, the program aims to provide in-person meetups led by local Bitcoin experts and enable a platform for local individuals to learn about the potential of Bitcoin.

According to Trezor’s blog, the Trezor Academy pilot has been active in Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Uganda, Burundi and Kenya. Throughout 2024, the company plans to set up academies in more than ten new African countries and educate hundreds more local educators to spread knowledge about Bitcoin.

“Bitcoin adoption is perhaps more relevant in Africa than on any other continent,” Trezor CEO Matej Zak said, adding that its properties provide several benefits related to local initiatives like payment schemes, microfinancing and savings.

As part of Trezor’s education program in Africa, the firm also funds Bitcoineta, a Bitcoin-themed car dedicated to spreading Bitcoin awareness in the West African region, particularly in Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria. The Bitcoineta awareness program was originally launched in 2018 by non-profits Bitcoin Argentina and Bitcoin Americana, with the campaign’s name referring to an abbreviation from “Bitcoin” and “camioneta,” the Spanish word for minivan.

According to Trezor, the African Bitcoineta campaign is being launched with Ghana’s Bitcoin education initiative, Bitcoin Cowries. As part of the campaign, a Bitcoineta-branded Land Rover will tour the Economic Community of West African States, taking the Bitcoin message to rural communities and schools across the region.

According to the announcement, the African Bitcoineta road trip started on Dec. 1. Trezor said the vehicle's progress will be shared via the official Bitcoineta X (formerly Twitter) account and documented through video blogs and other media channels.

Trezor noted that the Trezor Academy has been made possible by the support of the Bitcoin community, including 21 euros from each sale of Trezor’s limited edition, Bitcoin-only version of its Trezor Safe 3 hardware wallet, launched in October 2023.