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Forbes reports a Bitcoin learning program funded by Block expands to South African townships, with local businesses now accepting crypto payments.
Across two South African townships, free Bitcoin classes are teaching residents how to use the cryptocurrency, while a restaurant and a pharmacy have begun accepting it as payment—a grassroots push supported by Block’s donation for a community skate‑bowl project [2].
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Initiative | Free Bitcoin education classes in two townships |
| Funding source | Block (co‑founded by Jack Dorsey) donation for “Bitcoin Bowl” [2] |
| Early adopters | Local restaurant and pharmacy now accept Bitcoin [2] |
| Goal | Build financial‑skills knowledge among unbanked residents [2] |
The program, run by nonprofit The Surfer Kids and its offshoot Bitcoin Ekasi, offers free workshops that cover basic Bitcoin concepts, wallet creation, and how to transact safely. Organizers say the classes target residents who lack traditional bank accounts, aiming to give them a digital alternative for saving and payments. Early signs show modest adoption: a nearby restaurant and a pharmacy have started taking Bitcoin, marking the first merchant‑level acceptance in the townships surveyed.
Block’s contribution funds a skate‑boarding bowl dubbed the “Bitcoin Bowl,” which will serve as a community hub for both skate culture and the Bitcoin education program. The dual‑purpose facility is intended to attract youth, combine recreational activity with financial literacy, and reinforce the narrative that crypto can be part of everyday life. While the exact amount of the donation is not disclosed, the involvement of a high‑profile payments firm underscores growing corporate interest in grassroots crypto outreach.
The South African effort illustrates how targeted education and community‑focused projects can introduce cryptocurrency to unbanked populations, raising questions about how quickly such grassroots initiatives might scale into wider adoption across the continent.
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AI-assisted synthesis by the TrendWatcher Editorial Desk · sourced from 5 outlets · Jul 19, 2026 · How we report
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