BCarbon

What BCarbon does

BCarbon is a nonprofit carbon credit registry and climate research center headquartered in Houston, Texas. Founded in 2021 out of a working group at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy, the organization operates the BCarbon Registry (bcarbon.changecode.io) to issue, track, and serialize nature-based carbon credits across four proprietary protocols: Soil Carbon (v3.0), Blue Carbon Living Shorelines (v2.2), Methane Emissions Elimination through Well Plugging / MEEWP (v2.1), and Forest Carbon (paused for revision since August 2025). BCarbon's differentiator is a measurement-first methodology that relies on direct stratified soil sampling through NATA-accredited laboratories rather than satellite imagery or practice-based modeling, with credit serialization via DOVU's blockchain infrastructure on Hedera.

The organization serves three core customer segments: (1) landowners and farmers who generate credits through improved land management, well plugging, or living shorelines; (2) project developers who package landowner participation into certified projects (e.g., Veterans Carbon Holdings, Carbon Rho, Sendero Energy Solutions, Carbon X Credits, Guardian P&A, DynaVert, Tallgrass Bison Restoration); and (3) corporate and institutional carbon credit buyers seeking high-integrity, third-party verified offsets. BCarbon's go-to-market is community-led, anchored by the BCarbon Advisory Group (BAG) of 800+ members and nine specialized subcommittees (Forests, Methane, Living Shorelines, Soil Metrics, Additionality, Insurance, Market Positioning, Small Landowners, Stacked Benefits), supplemented by event participation, white papers, and public consultations on protocol revisions.

Revenue is generated through carbon credit issuance and registry fees on a transaction-fee basis, supplemented by grants (notably the Bia-Echo Foundation Innovative Diversity and Carbon Credit Grant, USDA NRCS funding via the Texas Climate-Smart Initiative) and donations. Distribution occurs through direct platform sales, the AIFC Carbon Platform on the Astana International Exchange, and the DOVU/Hedera marketplace. Operational scale remains small — approximately nine core staff plus a 10th listed team member — but the project pipeline is substantial, anchored by Veterans Carbon Holdings' 406,000 enrolled acres in 2025 with a projected 1.5–2 million acres in 2026 and Carbon Rho's 80,000 verified CDR credits issued in April 2026.

Name

BCarbon

Legal name

BCarbon, Inc.

Website

https://bcarbon.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

BCarbon is a Houston-based nonprofit carbon credit registry and climate research center, spun out of Rice University's Baker Institute, that issues measurement-based nature-based carbon credits under four proprietary protocols (soil, forest, blue carbon, methane well plugging) serving landowners, project developers, and corporate credit buyers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Carbon Credit Registry

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (541620)

akta.pro primary industry

Voluntary Carbon Credit Verification & Validation (VCS/Gold Standard/ACR/CAR) (EUABACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Methodology Development & Standard-Setting Support (Protocols, Tools, Updates) (EUABACAN), GHG Monitoring Plans & Sampling Design (Field Protocols, QA/QC) (EUABACAE), Soil & Biomass Carbon Measurement (Soil Sampling, Forest Inventory, Blue Carbon) (EUABACAH), Tokenization, Digital MRV-Linked Credits & On-Chain Carbon Infrastructure (Digital assets, provenance) (EUABAAAE), Carbon Accounting, Verification & Registry Services (MRV, Audits, Certification) (IMAMAJAE)

Keywords

• Carbon credit registry
• Nature-based carbon credits
• Soil carbon sequestration
• Methane emissions verification
• Voluntary carbon market

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Carbon Credit Issuance and Registry Fees: BCarbon, as a nonprofit carbon registry and climate research center, generates revenue through protocol development, validation and verification oversight, and issuance of carbon credits under its four nature-based protocols. The registry charges project developers fees for credit certification and issuance, with revenues supporting organizational operations and protocol research. BCarbon also receives grants (e.g., Bia-Echo Foundation Innovative Diversity and Carbon Credit Grant, USDA NRCS funding for Texas Climate-Smart Initiative) and donations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

BCarbon is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit carbon registry and climate research center that issues verified nature-based carbon credits through proprietary measurement-based protocols covering soil carbon, forest carbon, blue carbon (living shorelines), and methane (orphaned/abandoned oil and gas well plugging) projects. The organization operates the BCarbon Registry on Hedera Hashgraph blockchain, providing credit issuance, project listing, and traceability services to project developers and corporate buyers in the voluntary carbon market.

Product overview

BCarbon is a nonprofit carbon registry and climate research center that emerged from Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy, offering nature-based carbon credit protocols across four categories: Soil Carbon, Forest Carbon, Blue Carbon Living Shorelines, and Methane Well Plugging. The organization operates the BCarbon Registry platform for credit issuance and tracking, supported by a Technical Review Committee and an Advisory Group of over 800 stakeholders. The portfolio includes the Soil Carbon Protocol (Version 3.0), Blue Carbon Living Shorelines Protocol (Version 2.2), Methane Well Plugging Protocol (Version 2.1), and a Forest Carbon Protocol currently paused for revision.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Soil Carbon Protocol (v3.0) A measurement-based methodology for issuing verified soil carbon credits through direct stratified soil sampling and laboratory analysis. Designed for landowners, ranchers, and farmers implementing regenerative agricultural practices, and used by project developers to generate and register nature-based carbon credits.
• Forest Carbon Protocol A measurement-based methodology for issuing verified forest carbon credits. The protocol covers forest carbon sequestration projects, with active project pipelines transitioned to the Soil Carbon Protocol while the Forest Carbon Protocol undergoes further refinement.
• Blue Carbon Living Shorelines Protocol (v2.2) A measurement-based methodology for issuing verified blue carbon credits from living shoreline and coastal ecosystem projects. Designed for project developers and restoration practitioners implementing living shoreline and blue carbon conservation initiatives.
• MEEWP (Methane Emissions from Energy Exploits and Well Plugging) Protocol (v2.1) A measurement-based methodology for issuing verified carbon credits from orphaned and abandoned oil and gas well plugging projects, quantifying methane emission reductions. Designed for project developers, public agencies, and conservation organizations focused on methane abatement.
• BCarbon Registry Platform A blockchain-based carbon credit registry hosted on Hedera Hashgraph, providing credit issuance, project listing, traceability, and trading integration for nature-based carbon credit projects. Serves project developers, corporate buyers, and the voluntary carbon market at large.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $1.1 billion in direct payments to farmers and landowners projected over nine years from soil carbon programs
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Veterans Carbon Holdings, Inc. (VCH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026VCH is a key project developer partner using BCarbon's Soil Carbon Protocol v2.0 to issue the first-ever third-party validated soil-sample carbon credits to U.S. farmers. VCH manages 406,000+ acres in 2025 with projections to 1.5-2 million acres in 2026, distributing approximately $1.1 billion to farmers over nine years.
• Sendero Energy SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025Sendero Energy Solutions partnered with BCarbon to issue 10,475 verified carbon credits from plugging a well to eliminate methane emissions, demonstrating a practical model for small and mid-sized operators to address environmental liabilities and generate revenue through carbon credits.
• Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 November 2024BCarbon signed an MOU with Kazakhstan's AIFC on November 24, 2024 to integrate BCarbon's measurement-based nature-based carbon credit protocols with the AIFC Carbon Platform operating on the Astana International Exchange. The collaboration aims to promote scientific rigor, transparency, and consistency in carbon credit development while expanding opportunities for project developers and market participants across Central Asia.
• DOVUcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024DOVU provides blockchain infrastructure on the Hedera network for serializing BCarbon's soil carbon credits, enabling full traceability from soil sampling to marketplace for credits issued through Veterans Carbon Holdings' programs.
• Carbon Rho, LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Carbon Rho is a project developer for BCarbon-certified forest carbon projects, including the Red River Pilot spanning Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. Carbon Rho issued 80,000 verified CDR credits in April 2026 through the BCarbon registry.
• Government of Tamaulipas, Mexico and Earth Carbon LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 May 2019BCarbon signed an MOU with the Government of Tamaulipas, Mexico and Earth Carbon LLC at Rice University's Baker Institute to advance the Tamaulipas Carbon Credit Program for Conservation and Preservation. The collaboration focuses on community resilience, ecosystem protection, and creating pathways for local residents to participate in the carbon economy.
• Rice University Baker Institute for Public PolicycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019BCarbon originated from a working group at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy in 2019 and maintains close ties as a center of expertise on carbon markets and ecological restoration. The relationship includes the BCarbon/Rice University Liaison role and joint research projects including the SSPEED Center collaboration and EMRE Grasslands Research Project.
• Carbon RootssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarbon Roots is an Australian-founded agritech partner certified under the BCarbon.org standard, pioneering regenerative soil practices through verified carbon sequestration using humic and fulvic-based biological inputs. Projects are validated through NATA-accredited laboratories.
• Carbon X CreditssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarbon X leads the carbon credit sector in permanent methane abatement from leaking and legacy oil and gas wells, delivering science-backed carbon offset projects certified by BCarbon.
• Guardian Plug & Abandonment (GPA)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerGuardian P&A is a project developer specializing in high-quality plug & abandonment and methane emissions monitoring, having permanently avoided millions of tons of CO2e emissions through BCarbon-certified projects.
• Tallgrass Bison Restoration LLCsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerTallgrass Bison Restoration caps abandoned oil and gas wells, restores land to native condition with native vegetation, and sells premium carbon credits certified by BCarbon. A portion of net project proceeds supports bison rematriation to Native American lands via the Intertribal Buffalo Council.
• DynaVert HoldingssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerDynaVert is a project developer for plugging orphan, idle, abandoned, and marginal oil and gas wells, delivering verified, insured, and independently valued carbon credits under BCarbon protocols.
• Future Food Solutions LimitedsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK-based project partner generating soil-based carbon credits for UK farmers through BCarbon's CarbonBank, enhancing soil health and farm productivity.
• Rice University SSPEED CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBCarbon participates in the Rice University SSPEED Center's annual conference and collaborates on nature-based carbon credit research projects. BCarbon's CEO Eric Unverzagt presented on Houston-based carbon registry infrastructure at the 12th annual conference in November 2025.
• ChrysaLabssecondaryTechnology or IntegrationBCarbon joined ChrysaLabs' webinar panel with SustainCERT, Agrosolutions Consulting, and Verra to discuss how emerging MRV technologies are evaluated and integrated into credible soil carbon market standards and registries.
• US Business Council for Sustainable Development (USBCSD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSBCSD collaborates with BCarbon on the Small Landowners Carbon Cooperative (SLCC) project, providing its network of corporate and organizational constituents to support outreach and engagement for the carbon credit cooperative serving African American forest landowners.
• Texas A&M AgriLife ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBCarbon is a partner on the Texas Climate-Smart Initiative, a five-year pilot project led by Texas A&M AgriLife Research and funded by USDA's Natural Resource Conservation Service, focusing on soil and forest carbon protocol education and pilot projects.

Scale indicators11 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Direct peers

• Climate Action Reserve: Climate Action Reserve is a US-focused carbon registry issuing credits across forestry, soil, livestock, and ozone-depleting substance protocols. Direct peer to BCarbon given overlapping protocol categories, North American operating geographies, and similar nonprofit governance structure.
• Puro.earth: Puro.earth operates a registry focused on engineered and durable carbon removal, but overlaps with BCarbon in the broader voluntary carbon registry infrastructure space, serving corporate buyers seeking high-integrity credits. Comparable as a technology-enabled registry platform.
• American Carbon Registry: American Carbon Registry (ACR) is an enterprise-grade voluntary carbon registry with ICCB recognition and growing presence in nature-based credits. Directly comparable to BCarbon as a competing US-anchored registry issuing nature-based credits using rigorous quantification approaches.
• Verra: Verra operates the VCS Program, the largest voluntary carbon credit standard globally. It is the most direct comparator to BCarbon's nature-based registry model — both issue credits for forestry, soil, blue carbon, and avoidance/reduction projects, though Verra operates at significantly larger scale with established accreditation under ICCB.
• Gold Standard: Gold Standard is a leading voluntary carbon registry with strong positioning in nature-based projects (soil, forestry, land use) and accreditation under ICCB Core Carbon Principles. Directly comparable to BCarbon as a multi-protocol registry competing for the same project developer and buyer segments.

Emerging players

• Isometric: Isometric is a protocol-driven carbon registry and verification platform with science-based protocols for durable carbon removal. Comparable as a next-generation registry using rigorous quantification and digital infrastructure, though currently more focused on engineered removals than nature-based.
• Pachama: Pachama is a tech-enabled nature-based carbon marketplace using satellite monitoring and ML. Overlaps with BCarbon in nature-based credit verification (forestry, soil) but uses remote-sensing rather than ground-sampling methods — making it a methodological competitor rather than a direct registry peer.
• Sylvera: Sylvera provides independent carbon credit ratings and project-level due diligence, addressing integrity concerns that motivate BCarbon's measurement-first approach. Adjacent participant in the same buyer-driven quality infrastructure that BCarbon's registry serves.

Others

• Cloverly: Cloverly is a carbon credit API and marketplace enabling integration of nature-based credits into customer products. Operates adjacent to BCarbon in the carbon infrastructure stack — sourcing credits from registries like BCarbon and distributing them to enterprise buyers via tech integration.
• ChrysaLabs: ChrysaLabs provides soil carbon MRV technology (in-field spectroscopy + AI) — a complementary/sometimes competing measurement technology that BCarbon teams have engaged via joint webinars. Operates in the soil carbon measurement layer that supplies BCarbon's registry pipeline.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bcarbon
• Xx.com/bcarboninc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

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 BCarbon