Jack Dorsey’s #startsmall Injects $5 Million in Brink

Brink, a nonprofit dedicated to Bitcoin development, recently received a considerable financial injection of $5 million from Jack Dorsey‘s #startsmall initiative. The five-year pledge aims to assist Brink in their goal to finance Bitcoin developers and uphold the longevity of Bitcoin’s core codebase.

Brink shared via a June 14 tweet that Dorsey’s Start Small had committed to annual donations of $1 million for the upcoming five years. This contribution is intended to facilitate “developer funding efforts.” Dorsey initiated this fund back in April 2020, with a view to combating the COVID-19 pandemic. He invested $1 billion to set it in motion prior to stepping down as Twitter’s CEO.

#startsmall

Start Small’s website reports that, as of now, the fund stands at over $1.4 billion. The fund has already allocated more than $500 million to various projects. Beneficiaries include the Tor Project, responsible for the Tor Browser, the Signal Technology Foundation that supports the Signal messaging app, and the Calyx Institute which focuses on digital privacy education.

The primary objective of Brink is to offer fellowship and backing to Bitcoin and its related developers. The nonprofit facilitates developer grants, mentorship schemes, and funding options to stimulate open-source development for Bitcoin and related technologies. By fostering new contributors and decentralizing Bitcoin’s protocol development, Brink aspires to fortify the Bitcoin network and its developer community.

Bitcoin Developer Funding

In response to this generous commitment, Mike Schmidt, representing Brink, expressed his gratitude. He conveyed that the $1 million annual pledge for the subsequent five years would substantially assist Brink’s Bitcoin developer funding efforts, enabling Bitcoin development to become a sustainable career for talented developers.

With the pledge from #startsmall, Brink can continue to promote Bitcoin development and cultivate open-source decentralized systems. This considerable financial backing will facilitate the critical work of Bitcoin developers in maintaining and advancing the Bitcoin ecosystem. Consequently, Brink can attract more talent, broaden its educational programs, and extend its grant and fellowship schemes. This significant financial support not only underscores #startsmall’s commitment to open-source initiatives but also emphasizes the increasing importance of Bitcoin and its foundational technology.