Blockchain Association

Blockchain Association
Name	Blockchain Association
Type	Trade association
Founded	2018
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Region	United States
Leader title	Executive Director

Blockchain Association

The Blockchain Association is a Washington, D.C.–based trade association representing firms and stakeholders in the cryptocurrency and distributed ledger industry. The organization engages with legislators, regulators, and courts to influence policy affecting Securities and Exchange Commission rulemaking, Commodity Futures Trading Commission oversight, and litigation before the United States Supreme Court. It counts members ranging from startups in Silicon Valley to multinational corporations listed on the New York Stock Exchange and collaborates with civil society groups and think tanks in Brookings Institution-style public policy forums.

History

Founded in 2018 amid heightened public attention after events involving Mt. Gox, Coincheck, and the 2017–2018 cryptocurrency market cycle, the association emerged as part of a broader industry response similar to earlier trade efforts by networks around Blockchain Capital and advocacy efforts associated with Coin Center alumni. Early organizing responded to rule proposals from the Securities and Exchange Commission and enforcement actions connected to the Howey test litigation landscape. Founders and initial board members included executives with previous roles at firms listed on the Nasdaq and former staff from congressional offices on Capitol Hill. The association expanded its staff during policy fights following the collapse of FTX (company) and the issuance of enforcement priorities by the Department of Justice and the Internal Revenue Service.

Purpose and Activities

The association's stated purpose is to represent industry perspectives on legislative, regulatory, and judicial matters related to distributed ledger technologies and digital assets. Activities include filing amicus briefs in cases before the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, submitting comment letters to the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and organizing panels with participants from the Federal Reserve Board, the Treasury Department, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. It also runs public education efforts, convenes roundtables with representatives from Harvard Kennedy School, Stanford Law School, and Columbia University research centers, and publishes white papers used by legislative staff on Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and House Financial Services Committee briefings.

Membership and Governance

Members include exchanges listed on the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq, payment processors with offices in San Francisco and Singapore, mining firms with operations near Sichuan and Texas, and protocol development teams that have participated in Devcon and ETHGlobal. Governance is overseen by a board composed of executives and general counsels from member firms; committees mirror practices used by trade groups such as U.S. Chamber of Commerce and National Venture Capital Association. The organization employs an executive director and legal counsel with prior experience at law firms that have litigated before the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Policy and Advocacy

The association advocates for statutory clarity and regulatory frameworks similar to those debated in bills introduced in the United States Congress and by state legislatures such as those in Wyoming and Texas. Policy positions have addressed issues including token classification under the Howey test, custody standards aligned with guidance from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and know-your-customer requirements reflected in rules from the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. The group has coordinated with international counterparts in dialogues like those convened by the Financial Action Task Force and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development to harmonize cross-border approaches to stablecoins after policy statements from the Bank for International Settlements.

Legal and Regulatory Engagement

The association frequently files amicus briefs in matters implicating securities law, administrative law, and constitutional claims, participating in precedent-setting litigation akin to matters argued before the United States Supreme Court and the D.C. Circuit. It submits comment letters responding to proposed rules from the Securities and Exchange Commission on topics such as exchange registration and custody, and to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission on derivatives treatment. The association also engages with agency rulemaking under the Administrative Procedure Act and intervenes in state-level proceedings before regulators like the New York Department of Financial Services.

Funding and Financial Structure

Funding comes primarily from member dues paid by exchanges, custodians, protocol foundations, and venture firms with investments in token projects; donor models resemble those used by trade associations such as the American Bankers Association and the National Association of Realtors. The organization publishes periodic reports summarizing revenue sources for transparency to congressional staff and regulators, and maintains compliance with non-profit and lobbying disclosure regimes overseen by the Federal Election Commission and congressional ethics offices. Internal budgeting prioritizes legal advocacy, policy research, and convening expenses similar to budgets of think tanks like Cato Institute and Atlantic Council.

Category:Trade associations