Open Source
Contribute to Bitcoin Plain Talk
Help make Bitcoin understandable for everyone
Suggest a Term →No GitHub account needed — fill in a form and we'll turn it into a pull request for review.
Why Contribute?
Bitcoin documentation is written by developers, for developers. But Bitcoin is for everyone.
When someone in Nairobi reads "UTXO" or "mempool" for the first time, they shouldn't need to decode a whitepaper. They deserve an explanation that respects their intelligence without assuming their background.
You don't need to be a developer to contribute. If you can explain something clearly — you belong here.
How to Contribute
1. Add a New Term
Easiest way: use the Suggest a Term form — no GitHub account required, it opens a pull request for you.
Prefer working directly in GitHub? You can also:
- • Fork the repository on GitHub
- • Navigate to
/glossary - • Copy the
_template.mdfile - • Fill in the term, explanation, analogy, example, and translation
- • Submit a Pull Request
2. Improve an Existing Explanation
Found an explanation that's still confusing? Open an issue or submit a PR with a clearer version.
3. Add a Translation
We need explanations in Swahili, Yoruba, Kikuyu, Wanga, Pidgin, and more. If you speak a language, you can contribute — use the Suggest a Term form and pick "Translate an existing term."
4. Review Contributions
Read through open PRs and give feedback. Plain language is hard — a second pair of eyes always helps.
Contribution Guidelines
- • Write like you're explaining to a smart friend who is new to Bitcoin
- • Avoid using other Bitcoin jargon in your explanation (or explain those terms too)
- • Analogies should feel familiar to everyday African life where possible
- • Keep explanations concise — if it's longer than a paragraph, it's probably too long
- • Be kind in reviews — this project is built for beginners, and so are many of our contributors
Term Entry Structure
Each glossary entry should include:
- • The term — exactly as you'll encounter it
- • Plain language explanation — no jargon, no assumptions
- • Real-world analogy — something familiar to anchor the concept
- • Example in context — how it actually shows up in Bitcoin
- • Translation — Swahili (and growing to other African languages)
Example: Mempool
Plain English: A waiting room for Bitcoin transactions that haven't been confirmed yet.
Analogy: Imagine sending a letter. Before it gets delivered, it sits in a sorting room at the post office. The mempool is that sorting room.
In context: "My transaction has been stuck in the mempool for an hour."
Ready to Contribute?
Every explanation you add helps someone understand Bitcoin better.