Texas Bitcoin Foundation backs Base58 with Satoshi Papers royalties

By AI, Created 10:16 AM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – The Texas Bitcoin Foundation is directing all past and future royalties from The Satoshi Papers to Austin-based Base58 School of Engineering to expand Bitcoin developer education in Texas. The nonprofit also says it has fulfilled its mission and will wind down after five years of research, education and policy work.

Why it matters: - The donation shifts the Texas Bitcoin Foundation’s resources from research and policy into developer training, aimed at strengthening Texas’s Bitcoin talent pipeline. - Base58 plans to use the funding to expand curriculum and support more Texas educators. - The Foundation says the move marks the completion of its mission and signals a wind-down of the nonprofit.

What happened: - The Texas Bitcoin Foundation and Base58 School of Engineering announced a partnership on May 12, 2026, in Austin. - The Foundation will donate a lump sum of royalties already earned from The Satoshi Papers and all future royalties from the book. - The Foundation is a nonprofit focused on research and education about Bitcoin. - Base58 is an Austin-based educational nonprofit that trains Bitcoin software engineers.

The details: - Natalie Smolenski, founder and executive director of the Texas Bitcoin Foundation, said the donation extends the group’s mission into developer education. - Smolenski said The Satoshi Papers, published in 2025, was a peer-reviewed volume of interdisciplinary social scientific research on Bitcoin, state and society. - Lisa Neigut, founder and executive director of Base58, said the donation will help build out course curriculum and support more Texas educators. - The Satoshi Papers was edited by Smolenski and published by the Bitcoin Policy Institute in 2025. - In 2022, the Foundation partnered with Texas State Technical College to launch what it described as the first professional certification program in Bitcoin mining offered by any higher-education institution worldwide. - The Foundation also says it has educated policymakers and the public about Bitcoin as “freedom money” compared with central bank digital currencies and other censorable cryptocurrencies. - The Foundation says its work in research, education and public outreach has now reached its intended endpoint. - The Foundation plans to wind down after fulfilling its mission.

Between the lines: - The partnership connects Bitcoin research, policy outreach and technical training under one ecosystem in Texas. - The move also suggests the Foundation is converting a publishing asset into long-term support for education rather than treating the book as a standalone accomplishment. - By emphasizing Texas, the organizations are positioning the state as a hub for Bitcoin education and engineering talent.

What’s next: - Base58 will use the royalties to expand its engineering curriculum and deepen support for educators. - The Texas Bitcoin Foundation will begin winding down as it transfers its remaining mission-driven resources into the Base58 partnership. - More information is available at the Texas Bitcoin Foundation and Base58. - The Foundation also shared its social account at X.