The government of El Salvador has unveiled a new educational initiative called “CUBO+” that aims to cultivate highly skilled Bitcoin and Lightning developers through the country’s university system.
The program, set to begin in May, will select a small cohort of students under the age of 25 from the top universities in El Salvador.
Privately funded, eligible students will receive a stipend to cover course fees, and upon completion, they will be presented with various options to further their Bitcoin journey, including opportunities to join prominent Bitcoin companies.
Led by a distinguished figure in the Bitcoin community, who will be announced soon, the program will offer classes on high-level technical development specific to Bitcoin, as well as distributed technologies such as Holepunch, Nostr, and Web5.
The first two months of the program will be conducted online, followed by a two-week boot camp in San Salvador. Subsequent months will feature in-person online mentorships with renowned names in the Bitcoin industry.
President Nayib Bukele, who has been a vocal advocate for Bitcoin, has faced challenges as the cryptocurrency market has experienced volatility since El Salvador authorized Bitcoin as legal tender in September 2021. However, he remains committed to his vision and is even seeking re-election for a second term after receiving relatively high approval ratings from the people of El Salvador.
The “CUBO+” program aims to provide the infrastructure for others to benefit from the open-source standard for high-level Bitcoin education. Educational experts have contributed to the course design, with the goal of setting a benchmark for other countries to follow.
In addition to entrepreneurial and educational opportunities, students who complete the program will also have access to other options in El Salvador. The name “CUBO+” is derived from a project initiated by President Bukele during his tenure as mayor of San Salvador, where buildings were constructed in underserved areas to serve as libraries and community centers for education. The program aims to inspire the building of a brighter future for El Salvador.
