Maelstrom, the investment firm led by Arthur Hayes, has granted the inaugural award from its Bitcoin developer initiative to contributor Rkrux. This funding will allow Rkrux to dedicate himself full-time to Bitcoin Core development.
As an open-source project, Bitcoin depends on the voluntary efforts of developers to maintain its codebase. Recently, Maelstrom introduced a grant initiative aimed at fostering more full-time contributions and enhancements to Bitcoin’s foundational infrastructure.
The first beneficiary of this initiative is Rkrux, a rising Bitcoin Core reviewer who completed the FOSS program at Chaincode Labs earlier this year. The grant will provide Rkrux with the financial security to leave his current job and fully concentrate on advancing Bitcoin.
“One of the objectives of the grant program is to identify and reward promising talent within Bitcoin Core development,” stated Arthur Hayes, CIO of Maelstrom.
Hayes emphasized that by supporting full-time developers, the Bitcoin ecosystem is strengthened. Rkrux exemplifies the type of emerging talent Maelstrom intends to support through its grants.
Rkrux expressed that the timing of the funding was ideal as he was on the verge of deciding to leave his job for a full-time commitment to Bitcoin Core. “Thanks to the financial backing from Maelstrom, this has now become a reality,” he noted.
As an experienced engineer who is relatively new to Bitcoin contributions, Rkrux is excited to take on this role and further the project. With Maelstrom’s grant support, he aims to become a prominent Bitcoin Core developer. An increase in full-time developers working on Bitcoin core contributes positively to the network’s development and long-term sustainability.