At Evento, we believe that powerful things happen when people gather with purpose. Our mission is to help communities organize meaningful events that spark action, create opportunity, and build lasting connections. Hack4Freedom is a reflection of that mission - a hackathon designed not just to teach technical skills, but to help women in Nigeria build solutions for the challenges they live every day.

This wasn't a typical hackathon. Held over two weeks in Kaduna and online, Hack4Freedom brought together a cohort of women to explore how Bitcoin, Lightning, Nostr, and eCash can be used to create decentralized tools that serve real local needs.

Learning, Connecting, and Building With Purpose

Hack4Freedom wasn’t just about code. It was about community, growth, and vision. Participants engaged in expert-led workshops, mentorship sessions, and talks from leading voices in the global Bitcoin and open-source community.

They learned directly from:

Lorraine Marcel, Founder of BTCDADA
Charlene Fadirepo, Founder of Satoshi Sisterhood
Mary Kate Fain, Founder of Soapbox
Abubakar Nur Khalil, CEO of BTrust
Sarah White, GM of Africa Bitcoiners
Satoshee, Lead Designer, Africa Bitcoiners
Mubarak Aminu, Co-Founder of Tapnob
Oyindamola Oladapo, Bitcoin Open-Source Developer, Bitnob
Mogashni Naidoo, Co-Founder, Bitcoin Design Community
Satsie, Co-Organizer, Boston BitDevs
D++, Bitcoin educator, software engineer and Lightning evangelist
Claire Parkinson, Senior Ops Manager, ZBD
Kelvin Isievwore, Engineering Lead, BTrust
Stephanie Titcombe, Program Lead, BTrust
Sabina Waithira, Co-Founder, Tando

And a special shoutout goes to the BTrust Team, who made this hackathon possible through their sponsorship and by providing the hackers with invaluable mentorship throughout the hackathon.

🏆 The Winning Projects

Hack4Freedom culminated in an in-person Demo Day, where teams presented their final projects to a panel of expert judges. The result? Groundbreaking tools solving real Nigerian challenges, all powered by open-source protocols.

🥇 1st Place – Team LightningO

Prize: $1,000 in Bitcoin

LightningO (Lightning Opportunities) is a non-profit, open-source platform built on Nostr and the Lightning Network that connects global sponsors and local talent through bounties, gigs, and grants. A secure custodial escrow system ensures transparency and trust throughout each transaction.

By leveraging decentralized communication and instant Bitcoin payments, LightningO empowers Nigerian freelancers to earn globally with no banks or borders required.

🔗 GitHub
🌐 Live Demo

🥈 2nd Place – Team BitSave

Prize: $600 in Bitcoin

BitSave is a modern Bitcoin-powered savings app that helps users save in BTC while tracking their progress in NGN or USD. With features like group goals, private Nostr chats, and an AI savings coach, BitSave blends traditional community saving with open-source financial empowerment.

🔗 GitHub
📲 App Download

🥉 3rd Place – Team Bitstra

Prize: $400 in Bitcoin

Bitstra is an everyday utility app that allows Nigerian users to buy airtime, data, and pay bills using Bitcoin via the Lightning Network — no banks needed. Built for real-world usage, Bitstra brings Bitcoin into the day-to-day.
🔗 GitHub

🎖️ Honorable Mentions

These standout teams didn’t just participate, they pushed boundaries and brought new energy to freedom tech in Nigeria:

Team Medikey

A decentralized health record system built on Nostr and Bitcoin, empowering patients with full control over their medical data and providing instant micro-payments for access.
🔗 GitHub
🌐 Live Site

Team Lifedrops

A decentralized breastmilk donation platform that connects mothers through hospitals and rewards them in Bitcoin, tackling infant malnutrition and recognizing women’s unpaid labor.
🔗 GitHub

Team BitzApp

A Bitcoin payment solution integrated directly into WhatsApp. With MavaPay and Bitnob, users can buy, sell, or transfer BTC without ever leaving chat.
🔗 GitHub
🌐 Live Demo

Team PayVeri

An e-commerce and payments app for merchants and shoppers in Nigeria, with instant BTC-to-naira settlements and airtime top-ups — built for everyday Bitcoin use.

Team MediRelief

A decentralized donations platform that helps users send and receive Bitcoin Lightning payments for emergency medical bills — instantly, via WhatsApp.
🔗 GitHub

✨ This Is Just the Beginning

Hack4Freedom wasn’t just about building apps - it was about building confidence, community, and a future where women play a central role in open-source innovation. For many, this was their first step into the world of freedom tech. But it won’t be their last.

At Evento, we exist to support moments like this - where new builders find their voice, connect with each other, and create things that matter. Whether it’s a global summit or a local hackathon, we want to make events like Hack4Freedom easy to organize, impactful, and free from gatekeepers.

This is what happens when you give people the tools to gather. They build the future.

When Women Build, Freedom Follows: Meet the Hackers of Hack4Freedom