From Research to Action: A Season of Growth and Community Impact

Dear Friends and Supporters,

This past week marked an exciting milestone as we completed week 5 of our formal academic research on economic empowerment, digital literacy, and underbanked communities in Northern Thailand. Our ongoing focus is to uncover how inflation impacts marginalized groups, their access to banking services, and their ability to navigate today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape.

In parallel with our research, we’ve launched engaging classes and meetups, including “What is Money” in native Thai, “Bitcoin 101,” and an Advanced Bitcoin Meetup in Chiang Mai. The response has been nothing short of inspiring. Our “What is Money” class saw such overwhelming interest that it expanded into an 85-person Zoom session after surpassing our in-person capacity at the Bitcoin Learning Center. The Advanced Bitcoin Meetup followed suit, reaching its limit of 50 confirmed attendees from over 12 different countries, prompting us to temporarily halt further RSVPs.

The enthusiasm for financial literacy has led to numerous requests for multi-week finance classes tailored to high school students. We’re also excited to announce that we will be teaching foundational finance and savings concepts to teens from a local children’s home.

Looking ahead, in four weeks, we’ll welcome young technologists flying in from Bangkok to join our Christmas party before heading into the mountains to educate hill tribe communities about decentralized technologies equipped with built-in savings tools.

And that’s not all! In just three weeks, we’re gearing up for our third annual event where we’ll host 80 children from the Omkoi children’s home for an unforgettable weekend in the city filled with enriching activities and joyful experiences.

We’re deeply moved by the outpouring of support for our projects and the growing demand for educational resources. Our mission is expanding rapidly, and we are actively working to enhance our facilities to better serve local communities. Stay tuned for an action-packed November and December as we continue our work to inspire and uplift those around us.

With gratitude and excitement,

Jimmy & The Team at The Kostro Foundation