Conclusion
10. Why It Matters
Why We Built This
In Cuba, the Cuban peso went from 25 CUP per dollar to more than 550 CUP per dollar since January 2021. Those who had savings in pesos lost approximately 95% of their dollar value in less than four years. In Venezuela, cumulative inflation between 2013 and 2022 exceeded 10 million percent according to the IMF; the bolivar was redenominated three times, eliminating 14 zeros, without stopping the collapse. In Nigeria, the naira lost around 73% of its value against the dollar between 2021 and 2024.
These are not economic accidents. They are the result of governments that control the issuance of money without accountability, and of financial systems that can be used to block, surveil, and pressure those who use them.
Why Decentralize Custody
When funds are held by a centralized third party, that third party becomes a point of vulnerability: it can be pressured by a government, it can shut down, it can fail. A community that manages its own infrastructure eliminates that dependency.
Bitcoin has no CEO to intimidate. Lightning has no bank account to freeze. A Cashu Mint running on your own server obeys no one but the person who operates it.
Why Privacy Matters
"Privacy is not about something to hide. Privacy is about something to protect. And that's what you are. That's what you believe in. That's what you want to become."
"So far, there has not existed in any society, as far as we know, any mass surveillance system that has not been subject to abuse."
Cashu implements a model of electronic money where transactions are not recorded in a traceable way. In contexts where knowing who pays whom has real consequences for people's safety, that property matters.
Bitcoin, Lightning and Cashu
They were not born with authoritarian regimes in mind, but they turn out to be especially useful where the traditional financial system is used against people. Bitcoin is censorship-resistant and requires no one's permission to be used. Lightning enables fast payments without centralized custody. Cashu adds privacy and scalability for communities.
Together, these three layers form a concrete alternative to the system that excludes them.
Thank You for Getting This Far
Setting up this infrastructure is not trivial. If you made it this far, you already have the tools to offer financial sovereignty to your community. Share what you have learned, report bugs, propose improvements; this project grows with every person who adopts it.
If you want to connect with other operators or contribute to the project:
This tutorial series is dedicated to the more than 1,200 political prisoners who today suffer imprisonment in Cuba for opposing a dictatorship and fighting for freedom. And to everyone who, through code, is building tools so that freedom reaches their community.