DeFi Education Fund

What DeFi Education Fund does

DeFi Education Fund is a nonpartisan research and advocacy organization focused on decentralized finance (DeFi) public policy. Founded in 2021 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., the organization operates with a small team of 1-10 employees to influence regulatory frameworks affecting DeFi protocols and businesses. Its primary activities include filing regulatory comments, building policy coalitions, and engaging directly with rulemaking bodies such as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the UK Financial Conduct Authority. The organization's board includes representatives from major DeFi ecosystem participants including Uniswap Labs and the Solana Policy Institute, with Gavin Zavatone serving as policy lead.

Name

DeFi Education Fund

Website

https://defieducationfund.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

DeFi Education Fund is a Washington, D.C.-based nonpartisan advocacy organization that conducts regulatory research, files policy comments, and builds coalitions to shape DeFi regulation in the U.S. and UK.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Crypto Policy Advocacy

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

DAO Treasury, Governance & On-Chain Finance Tools (FSADAMAL)

Keywords

• Crypto policy advocacy
• Decentralized finance regulation
• Blockchain legislative advocacy
• Regulatory clarity services
• Crypto coalition building

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

DeFi Education Fund is a nonpartisan research and advocacy organization that conducts policy education and regulatory advocacy for the decentralized finance ecosystem. It engages directly with U.S. federal legislators and regulators (SEC, Senate Banking Committee, House of Representatives), files formal comments on DeFi rulemaking, and builds coalitions such as the Open Protocol Security Coalition (OPSeC) and the Defend Developers PAC (DDPAC) to advance legal protections for non-custodial blockchain developers.

Product overview

The DeFi Education Fund (DEF) is a crypto policy advocacy organization that does not offer a traditional product or service portfolio. Instead, it operates through two main initiatives: (1) the Open Protocol Security Coalition (OPSeC), a cybersecurity coalition created to harden crypto infrastructure against threats and educate policymakers, and (2) the Defend Developers PAC (DDPAC), a political action committee focused on supporting legislators who champion legal protections for blockchain developers. These initiatives work toward regulatory clarity for decentralized finance rather than offering commercial software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Open Protocol Security Coalition (OPSeC) A cryptocurrency cybersecurity coalition launched with Security Alliance (SEAL) and Asymmetric Research, designed to consolidate security resources, publish best practices, and educate U.S. policymakers on crypto infrastructure security for the benefit of crypto teams and developers.
• Defend Developers PAC (DDPAC) The first political action committee dedicated exclusively to backing incumbent members of Congress who support legal protections for blockchain developers, founded by DEF policy lead Gavin Zavatone with board representation from Solana Policy Institute and Uniswap Labs.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Security Alliance (SEAL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 June 2026Launched the Open Protocol Security Coalition (OPSeC) to strengthen crypto cybersecurity practices and educate lawmakers in Washington. The coalition holds educational events for legislators and creates a free central hub of security resources and best practices available to all crypto teams.
• Asymmetric ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 June 2026Co-founder of the Open Protocol Security Coalition (OPSeC) alongside Security Alliance and DeFi Education Fund. Contributes technical expertise to cryptocurrency cybersecurity initiatives and policy conversations.
• Defend Developers PAC (DDPAC)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026DEF policy lead Gavin Zavatone launched DDPAC, the first political action committee focused exclusively on backing lawmakers who support legal protections for blockchain developers. Board representation from Solana Policy Institute and Uniswap Labs. Plans to deploy more than six figures during the 2026 midterms.
• Digital ChambercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 April 2026Co-signed a letter to the SEC requesting formal notice-and-comment rulemaking on Decentralized Finance, advocating for clear principles-based criteria for broker-dealer definitions as they apply to DeFi.
• Blockchain AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 March 2026Co-signed an open letter urging U.S. universities to integrate DeFi and crypto education into business and law school curricula as part of the '1inch Forward' campaign coalition.
• 1inchflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 March 2026Led the '1inch Forward' campaign coalition backed by DEF, Solana Policy Institute, Aave Labs, and Dune, urging U.S. universities to integrate DeFi education into curricula. Includes a campus tour starting at University of Pennsylvania on March 27, 2026.
• Solana Policy InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 March 2026Board member of Defend Developers PAC alongside DEF and Uniswap Labs. Co-signatory on the '1inch Forward' open letter for university crypto education.
• Uniswap LabscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 March 2026Board member of Defend Developers PAC. Co-signatory on the '1inch Forward' open letter for university crypto education alongside DEF and other industry organizations.
• Aave LabsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 March 2026Co-signed the '1inch Forward' open letter alongside DEF, advocating for DeFi and crypto education integration in U.S. university curricula.
• DuneminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 March 2026Co-signed the '1inch Forward' open letter alongside DEF, advocating for DeFi and crypto education integration in U.S. university curricula.
• Major crypto and DeFi organizationscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 December 2025Led a coalition of crypto organizations opposing Citadel Securities' call for stricter SEC regulation of tokenized securities in DeFi. Argued that existing securities laws sufficiently address risks without applying intermediary regulations to decentralized protocols.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Blockchain Association: Leading U.S. crypto industry trade association that lobbies Congress and federal agencies on digital asset policy. Direct peer to DEF—co-signed the '1inch Forward' open letter and the SEC rulemaking request, operates from Washington D.C., and serves overlapping crypto/blockchain constituencies.
• Coin Center: The original U.S. crypto policy research and advocacy nonprofit, focused on regulatory clarity for non-custodial software and open blockchain networks. Highly comparable to DEF in mission, Washington D.C. base, and engagement with SEC, Treasury, and Congress on developer protections.
• Chamber of Digital Commerce: One of the longest-standing digital asset trade associations; engages U.S. and international policymakers on tokenization, DeFi, and stablecoins. Direct peer to DEF with overlapping federal advocacy remit and co-signed the SEC broker-dealer rulemaking letter.
• Solana Policy Institute: Washington D.C.-based policy advocacy organization focused on Solana network and broader crypto regulatory issues. Direct peer with board-level overlap on DDPAC and '1inch Forward' coalition—operates in the same non-custodial developer protection space as DEF.
• Crypto Council for Innovation: Global alliance of crypto industry participants advocating for sensible regulation with members including Coinbase, Block, and venture firms. Direct peer in policy advocacy mission and engages U.S. Congress and international standard-setters on DeFi-related issues.

Emerging players

• DeFi Alliance: DeFi-focused builder support and policy community with both education and advocacy components. Partial overlap with DEF—shares DeFi ecosystem focus but emphasizes accelerator-style support for founders rather than direct federal lobbying.
• Web3 Foundation: Foundation supporting the Polkadot ecosystem with both grants-funded development and policy advocacy. Partial overlap with DEF as a crypto ecosystem organization engaged in regulatory dialogue, though more focused on ecosystem funding than pure lobbying.

Regional players

• European Crypto Initiative: European-focused crypto policy advocacy organization engaging with EU MiCA implementation and member-state regulators. Regional peer to DEF—DEF has only a single UK FCA submission, so a European counterpart addresses geography DEF has not covered.

Broad incumbents

• Paradigm Policy: Crypto-focused investment firm with a dedicated policy function that has filed amicus briefs and engaged regulators on DeFi, stablecoins, and developer liability. While primarily a venture investor, its policy team addresses the same regulatory issues DEF works on, with substantially more resources.
• Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) Crypto Policy: Major crypto venture firm with an active policy and regulatory practice that engages Congress, SEC, and CFTC on DeFi and developer protections. Functions as both an investor in DEF-aligned protocols and a competing policy voice with materially greater resources.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fund_defi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/defieducationfund

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about DeFi Education Fund