Major correction: Raj Maitra's current official title is General Head, not CEO as listed by Bitcoin MENA. Use General Head as verified on Bitshala's official team page.
Bio
Rajarshi 'Raj' Maitra is the General Head and founder/initiator of Bitshala, an Indian Bitcoin open-source developer education initiative. A self-taught Bitcoin developer active in open source since around 2020, he launched Bitshala in January 2023 after building a structured learning map for aspiring contributors. Bitshala runs free cohorts, study clubs, meetups, BitDevs events, fellowships and grant pathways across India and Southeast Asia. OpenSats reports that close to 1,500 people had completed at least one cohort by 2026 (funder-published metric; date before display).
Bitshala
Bitshala trains contributors across Bitcoin, Lightning, Nostr and ecash open-source ecosystems. Programs are cohort-based and free, with proof-of-work through real project contributions. The organization is education/community, not an accredited university or financial service. Funding from grantmakers should be disclosed without implying control over curriculum. Do not call Bitshala an accredited institute.
Current 2026 Work
January 2025 OpenSats grant; renewal reported March 2026. Active cohorts, cities, fellowships and 2026 Bitmela participation. Use General Head rather than CEO unless Bitshala changes its official page. Information last checked: 26 August 2026.
Profile at a glance
- Country
- India
- Status
- Active
