PoW video guidelines

How to create qualifying Proof of Work video posts for PoWBoT.

We’re between epochs. Epoch 6 ended on 21 October 2026 and Epoch 7 hasn’t started yet. These are the Epoch 6 guidelines: they’ll be updated before Epoch 7 goes live.

New to PoWBoT?

PoWBoT is open to any established Bitcoin circular economy project in Africa.

  1. Apply: message @bitcoinubuntu on Telegram with a few lines about your project and where it works.
  2. Get approved: once your project is approved, you get access to the group, where you submit your posts.
  3. Post: film and post proof-of-work videos that follow the guidelines below.

What qualifies

Your video post must meet all of these requirements:

  • Include #spedn hashtag: Your post must include the hashtag #spedn
  • Show the transaction: Video must capture an actual Bitcoin payment happening
  • Merchant receives sats directly: No fiat settlement services – merchant must receive Bitcoin
  • Merchant paycode/LNURL in post: Must be clearly typed in the written post text (not just shown in video). If multiple paycodes are included, the merchant’s must appear first
  • BTCMap.org link required: Must include a link to the merchant’s BTCMap.org profile in your post
  • Permanent merchant location: Must be an established business with a fixed physical location (no mobile vendors, delivery services, or temporary stands)
  • Valid on X & Nostr: Posts on either platform qualify

Submission limits (Epoch 6)

  • Weekly limit: 3 different merchants per project per week. The week runs Monday to Sunday and resets Monday 00:00 UTC (02:00 CAT).
  • Once per platform: each merchant can be posted once on X and once on Nostr per week.
  • Cross-posts: posting the same merchant on the other platform pays about 25% of the first post’s reward.

This means:

Counts

  • 3 different merchants in a week – full reward each
  • Each of those 3 also posted to the other platform – ~25% of the first post each

So a full week is 6 posts: 3 merchants × 2 platforms

Doesn’t count

  • The same merchant twice on the same platform in one week
  • A 4th new merchant in the same week

Tip: Spread your posts throughout the week for maximum visibility.

Required video elements

  1. Shopfront: Brief exterior/street view
  2. Shop interior: Brief overview inside
  3. Bitcoin sign: “Bitcoin Accepted” signage
  4. Selection: Customer choosing product
  5. Transaction: Payment process clearly shown
  6. Confirmation: Payment success screen
  7. Ending screen: Project donation QR codes

Keep it short: Videos should be 45–60 seconds maximum. Focus on showing the transaction and required elements. Edit your clips to capture the essential moments efficiently.

Proper formatting: Crop your videos correctly. Do not edit portrait videos onto a horizontal canvas – keep videos in their native orientation.

Suggested post format

Example post
⚡️ Use Bitcoin as everyday money
#spedn
merchant@blink.sv
btcmap.org/merchant/12345
[Your post’s story here...]
[UPLOADED VIDEO]

Tip for posting to X: Posts truncate at 280 chars. Put required elements first!

Remember: The merchant’s Lightning address must appear first if you’re including multiple paycodes or donation addresses in your post.

What doesn’t qualify

  • Fiat settlement: Merchant receiving fiat through off-ramps
  • No verifiable location: Random sellers, unidentifiable locations, temporary stands, street vendors
  • Mobile services: Taxis, delivery services, or any mobile merchants (too difficult to verify location)
  • Random people at meetups: Sending sats to individuals who aren’t merchants
  • Salary payments: Paying employees is not a PoW video. Employees should spend their salaries at merchants instead
  • Talking without showing: Describing what you did without on-camera evidence of the transaction
  • No context videos: Videos filmed outside your circular economy project or without identifying location
  • Unclear transactions: If the video doesn’t clearly show sats being spent, it won’t count