My First Bitcoin

My First Bitcoin is a global grassroots movement dedicated to providing free Bitcoin education. Founded in 2021, it became known for creating the world's first Bitcoin Diploma taught in a public school system, and has since expanded to dozens of countries through a decentralized network of independent educators. The organization believes that independent, impartial, community-led Bitcoin education will change the world.

History

Origins (2021)

My First Bitcoin began in August 2021 with a mission statement, and the registration of the domains miprimerbitcoin.io and myfirstbitcoin.io.

The first orientation class was held on 18 September 2021 in San Salvador, just a week after Bitcoin became legal tender in the country. The organization's first public class took place on 24 September in a borrowed yoga studio with one student in attendance, followed by the first U.S. class on 30 September. Early classes were short introductions to Bitcoin, offered in small groups and community spaces.

By October, volunteer teachers were delivering classes throughout San Salvador and rural regions such as Chalatenango, supported by the first grassroots donations. By the end of November, nearly 300 students had been taught in cafés, parks, yoga studios, and private homes, and the group hosted its first Bitcoin meet-up.

The Bitcoin Diploma (2022)

In early 2022, My First Bitcoin applied for non-profit status and expanded its teaching efforts, reaching 800 students in February alone. That same month, discussions with public schools led to the development of the Bitcoin Diploma, a structured 10-week curriculum.

On 23 April 2022, the first Bitcoin Diploma class was launched in San Marcos. This marked the world's first Bitcoin-only diploma program taught within a public school system. The inaugural cohort graduated on 25 June 2022, followed the same day by the launch of a second diploma program in Ataco. The curriculum quickly evolved, with new versions released throughout the year, including version 3.0 in September 2022 under an open-source license.

Diploma classes later expanded to Apopa, a community recovering from gang violence, and to Isla la Piraya, where classes were held in a community center rather than a school.

Growth and International Outreach (2023)

In January 2023, My First Bitcoin raised over 1 BTC in a single month, aided by a donation from Jack Dorsey. The organization held its first Board of Directors election, formalizing governance with five elected positions.

In March, the Node Network was launched to connect independent Bitcoin educators worldwide under shared consensus rules of independence, impartiality, and community-led teaching. By year's end, the network had grown to 28 nodes across multiple continents.

The Ministry of Education of El Salvador adopted a modified version of the open-source Bitcoin Diploma, and in October 2023 the first pilot program trained 150 teachers from three regions to bring Bitcoin education into their schools.

International expansion accelerated, with classes taught in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, South Africa, and beyond. My First Bitcoin also hosted the first Bitcoin Educators Unconference in November 2023, bringing grassroots educators together to share open-source methods.

Consolidation (2024)

In 2024, My First Bitcoin received major grants from the Human Rights Foundation and Block. The year saw record growth in both teaching and international reach, with nearly 100 public school teachers graduating with their Bitcoin Diploma in April.

The Node Network expanded to 50 nodes across 27 countries by November, including Afghanistan, Argentina, Ghana, India, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa, and the United States.

Multiple Bitcoin Educators Unconferences were held in Madeira, Nashville, and El Salvador, where open-sourced blueprints and organizational tools were shared. The grassroots coalition model became a defining feature of the movement, empowering educators globally.

Global Focus and Impact (2025)

In 2025, My First Bitcoin received a $1 million grant from #startsmall, the philanthropic initiative founded by Jack Dorsey. This marked the largest single donation in the organization's history and provided long-term stability for its operations.

That same year, the organization ended its direct involvement in the public school system in El Salvador. Instead, it shifted to a grassroots approach within the country while significantly broadening its global reach. The strategic focus moved away from direct classroom teaching toward supporting independent educators worldwide through the Node Network.

My First Bitcoin began concentrating its resources on developing open-source curricula, training materials and programs, self-paced courses and organizational blueprints. This transition positioned the organization primarily as a provider of educational tools and infrastructure, empowering decentralized educators and communities around the world to take ownership of Bitcoin education.

Programs

Bitcoin Diploma

The Bitcoin Diploma is a structured 10-week course covering the history of money, why it's broken, leading up to the philosophy, and technical aspects of Bitcoin. First launched in 2022, it has since been implemented in schools, community centers, municipal buildings, and international classrooms. The Bitcoin Diploma is launched under the open source CC 4.0 licence.

Bitcoin Intro Course

Since 2021, My First Bitcoin has offered short intro sessions, which continue to be used worldwide as an accessible entry point for new learners. The Bitcoin Intro Course has been open-sourced in 2023.

Node Network

Established in 2023, the Node Network unites independent Bitcoin educators in a decentralized global coalition. Membership requires adherence to principles of impartial, community-led, Bitcoin-only education. Late 2025, the Node Network consists of over 70 projects from almost 40 nations, resulting in thousands of graduations and hundreds of cohorts worldwide.

Unconferences

My First Bitcoin organizes recurring Bitcoin Educators Unconferences, where grassroots educators share strategies, refine curricula, and release open-source teaching resources. Starting in 2022 with its first edition in San Salvador, it followed with six more Unconferences in the cities of Funchal, Nashville, Vancouver and San Salvador.

Funding and Independence

The organization relies primarily on grassroots donations and occasional grants. Notable contributions include support from Jack Dorsey, the Human Rights Foundation, and Block, but also the contributions from the grassroots Bitcoin community. My First Bitcoin avoids exclusive corporate sponsorships to preserve independence, after earlier experiences where donors sought influence over programming. Fundraising activities have included charity dinners and community-organized auctions raising more than 1 BTC each.

Board of Directors and Team

My First Bitcoin operates with a global, remote team of committed Bitcoiners. Learn more about all individuals on the website. Besides that, the organization is overseen by a Board of Directors, elected every two years, with positions including president, vice president, treasurer, secretary, and vocal. The board meeting notes can be found on its website.

References

This article "My First Bitcoin" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:My First Bitcoin. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.

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