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Welcome to Cypherock’s Summer of Bitcoin 2025 Page!

Cypherock
March 29, 2025

This page serves as your central resource for all things Summer of Bitcoin 2025 at Cypherock!

For those who might be new, Summer of Bitcoin is a prestigious global program that introduces students to open-source software development through hands-on, real-world experience. Over the summer, students team up with an open-source organization, like Cypherock, to work on amazing projects that benefit the Bitcoin and broader open-source community. It’s a remarkable chance for you to expand your skills & contribute to solutions used by people around the world.

As a mentoring organization, we’ll guide you through each step of the journey, from applications to celebrating project successes!

Quick Links

About Cypherock and the Project Ideas

About Cypherock
Cypherock is an open-source hardware wallet and firmware solution company, working mainly on cryptography, embedded systems & user-facing software. Our tech stack includes:

  • C/C++
  • TypeScript
  • React
  • JavaScript

We focus on making Bitcoin and other digital assets safer and easier to manage. Throughout the Summer of Bitcoin 2025, we hope to collaborate with contributors excited to work on hardware-software integrations, security, and open-source application development.

Featured Project Idea

Bitcoin HWI (Hardware Wallet Interface) for Cypherock X1

We aim to integrate the Cypherock X1 hardware wallet with software wallets like Sparrow Wallet via the Bitcoin Hardware Wallet Interface (HWI) using the Cypherock SDK. This project involves:

  1. Understanding the HWI protocol and its requirements.
  2. Implementing secure communication between Cypherock X1 and Sparrow Wallet.
  3. Ensuring compatibility with existing software wallet features (transaction signing, address generation, etc.).

Working on this project, you’ll gain experience in:

  • Embedded systems (firmware development in C).
  • Cryptography (secure key management, signing, and encryption).
  • Software application development (using TypeScript, React, JavaScript).

Bitcoin-Only Firmware for Cypherock X1 Hardware Wallet

This project aims to develop a dedicated Bitcoin-only firmware for the Cypherock X1 hardware wallet. By removing support for other cryptocurrencies, we enhance security, optimize performance, and cater specifically to Bitcoin users who prioritize minimalism and sovereignty. The firmware will ensure seamless signing and transaction management for Bitcoin.

Expected Outcomes

  • A fully functional Bitcoin-only firmware for Cypherock X1, removing support for non-Bitcoin assets.
  • Secure transaction signing and key management optimized for Bitcoin users.
  • Open-source contributions to relevant Bitcoin wallet repositories for seamless compatibility.

Working on this project, you’ll gain experience in:

  • Proficiency in C/C++ (for embedded firmware development).
  • Understanding of Bitcoin transactions, PSBT (Partially Signed Bitcoin Transactions), and BIP standards.
  • Familiarity with HWI (Hardware Wallet Interface) and integrating with wallets like Bitcoin Core, Sparrow, and Specter.
  • Experience with secure key management and cryptographic protocols.
  • Knowledge of Git and open-source development workflows.

UI/UX Design for Bitcoin HWI & Bitcoin-Only Firmware on Cypherock X1

This project focuses on designing an intuitive UI/UX prototype for Bitcoin Hardware Wallet Interface (HWI) integration on Cypherock X1. The goal is to create a seamless experience for users interacting with Bitcoin Core. Additionally, the project will design a clean, minimalistic UI for the Bitcoin-only firmware, ensuring usability and clarity while maintaining security best practices.

Expected Outcomes

  • A UI/UX prototype for integrating Cypherock X1 with Bitcoin HWI to improve usability with Bitcoin Core and other wallets.
  • A clean and minimalistic UI design for the Bitcoin-only firmware, ensuring simplicity and a smooth user experience.
  • User flow diagrams and wireframes demonstrating how users interact with the Bitcoin-only firmware.
  • Design assets and guidelines for implementation by developers.

Working on this project, you’ll gain experience in:

  • Proficiency in UI/UX design tools (Figma, Figjam, Adobe XD).
  • Understanding of Bitcoin hardware wallets and UX best practices.
  • Experience in designing for embedded systems and constrained UI environments is a plus.
  • Ability to create user flow diagrams, wireframes, and interactive prototypes.
  • Strong sense of usability, accessibility, and minimalistic design principles.

We encourage applicants who have a strong interest in bridging hardware security with user-centric software wallets. However, we also welcome new project ideas if you see an opportunity to make Cypherock’s tech even better.

Contributor Guide

Are you a passionate developer seeking to dive into meaningful projects this summer? We invite you to apply as a Summer of Bitcoin contributor and help build a more secure and user-friendly Bitcoin ecosystem. Below is how you can get started:

1. Familiarize Yourself with Cypherock

Visit our website and explore our GitHub repositories to understand the context of our projects and mission.(Excited by what we do? We'd love a ⭐)

2. Review the Project Ideas

Check out the featured project idea (HWI for Cypherock X1), and decide which aligns best with your skills and interests. If you have a new idea, we welcome proposals for that as well!

3. Join Our Community

  • Telegram Group: Connect with us on Telegram for general discussions, quick feedback, and community updates.

This is where you can interact with mentors, other contributors, and the broader Cypherock community.

4. Draft Your Proposal

Use a structured approach (like the templates from Summer of Bitcoin or your own well-organized template) to lay out:

  • The problem you aim to solve or the goals of your project.
  • Proposed timeline and milestones.
  • Details on how you plan to implement the solution.
  • Any relevant experience or background.

5. Submit Your Proposal

Submit your proposal following the official Summer of Bitcoin guidelines—be sure to check the official application form or process from Summer of Bitcoin 2025- https://guide.summerofbitcoin.org/the-proposal-round/about

General suggestions

  • Code and prototypes are preferred over detailed documents and unreliable estimates: rather than using your time to write a very long application document, we suggest to invest in writing a prototype (which means the code may be thrown out entirely) which will help you understand the challenges of the project you want to work on; your application should refer to the prototype or other Github contributions you made to Cypherock that show you can succeed in the project idea you are applying for.
  • Students who have either shown to have or have shown to be fast learners for the required hard and soft skills by contributing to Cypherock have a lot more chances of being accepted. in order to get started contributing, refer to the Cypherock Contributing Guidelines
  • Get trained in the projects you want to apply for: once applicants have completed some basic training by contributing to Cypherock we highly suggest to start working on some aspects of the project they are interested in applying: all projects listed this year are improvements of existing modules so these modules already have a list of open issues which can be solved as part of your advanced training. It will also be possible to complete some of the tasks listed in the project idea right now before the Summer of Bitcoin starts.

6. Selection Criteria

We’ll review your proposal based on:

  1. Quality & Clarity: Is your problem statement clearly defined? Are your goals realistic and well thought-out?
  2. Technical Skill: Your experience, coding samples, or any prior contributions to open source (not mandatory, but helpful).
  3. Communication & Collaboration: How you engage with the community, clarity of communication, and approachability.
  4. Alignment with Cypherock Goals: How your proposal advances hardware wallet security, user experience, or open-source adoption.

Final Notes

We’re thrilled you’re considering a summer spent innovating with Cypherock. Together, we can build more secure, accessible, and future-ready solutions for Bitcoin enthusiasts everywhere.

Whether you’re a student contributor or an experienced mentor, your time and passion make a difference. Let’s make Summer of Bitcoin 2025 an unforgettable learning experience!

Stay Connected


Cypherock X1

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