Powering
Financial Inclusion
Discover how Bitcoin can drive economic equality and create opportunities for billions across the globe.
Financial inclusion remains a pressing challenge, with over a billion people lacking access to basic banking services. Traditional financial systems often exclude marginalized communities, impose high fees, or fail to provide security in times of crisis.
Bitcoin, as a decentralised and borderless digital currency, offers an alternative global monetary framework that is free from permissions. By removing barriers and democratising access to financial tools, Bitcoin transforms lives, reduces inequality, and paves the way for a more inclusive financial future.
Is Bitcoin Useless? Addressing Financial Privilege
To claim that Bitcoin is useless is to disregard the lived experiences of those for whom traditional systems have failed. Bitcoin’s decentralised and permissionless nature offers a lifeline to individuals in precarious circumstances. It empowers them with tools for self-sovereignty, enabling access to a global financial system where none existed before. Whether it is protecting savings from hyperinflation, enabling cross-border transactions free from authoritarian oversight, or providing economic opportunities for the unbanked, Bitcoin’s utility is most evident where conventional systems fall short.
This is not merely about technology; it is about equity, access, and the ability to thrive despite barriers of geography, governance, or circumstance. By acknowledging our financial privilege, we can better appreciate how Bitcoin represents hope and freedom to millions worldwide—an idea far too significant to dismiss.
A short video by the Human Rights Foundation (HRF) on bitcoin's utility.
Key Areas of Concern Access to Financial Services
The Problem:
Many people in developing countries and remote areas lack access to banks and financial institutions due to limited infrastructure, high account maintenance costs, or geographic isolation.
Bitcoin’s Solution:
Bitcoin operates on a decentralized network accessible via the internet. With just a smartphone and an internet connection, individuals can create a Bitcoin wallet, enabling them to send, receive, and store value without relying on a traditional bank. This low-barrier access empowers communities to participate in the global economy.
The Problem:
Many people in developing countries and remote areas lack access to banks and financial institutions due to limited infrastructure, high account maintenance costs, or geographic isolation.
Bitcoin’s Solution:
Bitcoin operates on a decentralized network accessible via the internet. With just a smartphone and an internet connection, individuals can create a Bitcoin wallet, enabling them to send, receive, and store value without relying on a traditional bank. This low-barrier access empowers communities to participate in the global economy.
High Transaction Costs
Cross-border remittances often come with exorbitant fees, eroding the already limited funds sent to families in need. Small businesses also struggle with excessive payment processing fees, cutting into profits.
Bitcoin’s Solution:
Bitcoin transactions are cost-efficient, particularly on the Lightning Network, which enables near-instantaneous payments at a fraction of the cost of traditional methods. This efficiency allows individuals and businesses to retain more of their hard-earned money and foster economic growth.