Osservatorio DLT/Blockchain Nazionale IBNO

What Osservatorio DLT/Blockchain Nazionale IBNO does

Osservatorio DLT/Blockchain Nazionale IBNO is an Italian research observatory founded in January 2020 through a partnership between the Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II (Department of Economics, Management, and Institutions — DEMI), the private company Cryptodiamond S.r.l, and the industry association Italia4Blockchain. Headquartered in Naples at the Federico II campus, IBNO is a non-technology, knowledge-publishing organization whose purpose is to map and analyze Italy's blockchain and DLT ecosystem across 16 sectors, currently covering 132+ active companies. The observatory does not develop proprietary technology; its core outputs are sector-specific research reports (Italian Ecosystem, Agrifood, Healthcare, NFTs, Women in Blockchain, Smart Technologies & COVID-19), a weekly newsletter (Il Settimanale Blockchain, 121+ editions), and blockchain training courses delivered through university partnerships (Federico II, Parthenope).

IBNO's business model is a mix of one-time report licensing (with paid tiers around €28 per PDF/eBook and free reports for some titles), professional services revenue from educational courses such as the BIM (Blockchain Innovation Manager) certification, and partnership/sponsorship arrangements with industry associations and corporate partners. Distribution extends beyond the IBNO website to third-party platforms (Amazon, Mondadori Store, Kobo, Feltrinelli, IBS, LibreriaUniversitaria) and academic channels. The organization has no venture or private equity funding, operates with a team of approximately 5, and is led by co-founders Luigi Di Benedetto and Pietro Azzara alongside an academic research team. Its strategic position is that of a neutral, university-anchored industry convener rather than a commercial technology vendor, monetizing primarily through thought leadership, ecosystem curation, and education.

Name

Osservatorio DLT/Blockchain Nazionale IBNO

Legal name

IBNO - Italian Blockchain National Observatory

Website

https://ibno.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

IBNO is Italy's national research observatory for blockchain and DLT, founded in 2020 and headquartered in Naples at the University of Federico II. It maps 132+ Italian blockchain companies, publishes sector reports and a weekly newsletter, and runs university-based blockchain training courses for industry and academia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Blockchain Research & Industry Intelligence

NAICS

Information (51)

SIC

Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

Regulatory Reporting, Tax & Audit Trails (reconciliation, provenance) (FSAPAJAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Blockchain Analytics & Transaction Monitoring (FSADALAB)

Keywords

• Blockchain research reports
• DLT ecosystem mapping
• Blockchain education courses
• Industry research observatory
• Blockchain sector analysis

Headquarters

HQ city

Naples

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Report Sales: IBNO sells research reports on blockchain applications in specific sectors such as healthcare, agrifood, and NFTs. Reports are available in PDF, eBook, and physical formats through the website and third-party platforms like Amazon and Mondadori Store.
2. Educational Courses: IBNO partners with universities to offer blockchain training courses including BIM (Blockchain Innovation Manager) certification and business blockchain courses, generating revenue through course enrollment and partnerships.
3. Partnership and Sponsorship: IBNO generates revenue through strategic partnerships with companies and associations, extending the network of businesses and competencies within the observatory ecosystem.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

IBNO is Italy's national research observatory dedicated to DLT and blockchain technologies. It produces sector-specific research reports (e.g., Healthcare, Agrifood, NFT, Italian ecosystem), publishes a weekly blockchain news bulletin (Il Settimanale Blockchain), and offers professional blockchain training courses (BIM and Business e Tecnologia Blockchain) in partnership with Italian universities.

Product overview

IBNO (Italian Blockchain National Observatory) is Italy's national observatory dedicated to DLT and blockchain technologies. The organization operates as a research and publication platform that produces industry reports, publishes weekly newsletters, and offers educational courses on blockchain topics. The core offerings include specialized research reports on blockchain applications across sectors (Healthcare, NFT, Agrifood, Women in Blockchain), a weekly blockchain news publication, and professional blockchain training courses. The observatory functions as a knowledge-sharing hub connecting universities, associations, companies, and research centers to disseminate accurate information, reports, and statistics about the blockchain sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• L'Ecosistema Italiano della Blockchain - Drivers, Use Cases e Implicazioni Comprehensive mapping and analysis of Italian blockchain companies, examining drivers, use cases, and implications for the national ecosystem across 16 sectors and 132+ companies.
• Blockchain & NFT Report - Stato dell'arte e ambiti applicativi della tecnologia dei token non fungibili Comprehensive analysis of NFT technology applications, state of the art, and practical use cases across multiple industries including art, tourism, sports, fashion, and gaming.
• Report Blockchain & Healthcare (PDF and eBook) In-depth analysis of blockchain implementation in the healthcare sector, examining digital transformation opportunities and featuring 32 national and international business case studies.
• Blockchain & Agrifood Report Analysis of blockchain applications in the Italian agrifood sector, examining traceability, transparency, supply chain optimization, and Italian Sounding prevention.
• Donne e Industria Blockchain Report Investigation into women's professional careers and female employment in the blockchain industry in Italy and Europe, examining gender disparity in the crypto sector.
• Smart Technologies & COVID-19 Report Analysis of smart technologies including AI, machine learning, cognitive computing, chatbots, and robots deployed during the COVID-19 pandemic for prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and research.
• Il Settimanale Blockchain (Blockchain Weekly Newsletter) Weekly newsletter providing updates on blockchain and cryptocurrency news, industry developments, and market trends; 121+ issues published as of 2024.
• BIM - Blockchain Innovation Manager Course Online training course offered in partnership with Italia4Blockchain association for decision-makers seeking cross-functional competencies in economics, finance, and blockchain technology.
• Business e Tecnologia Blockchain Course University-level course in business and blockchain technology offered through a partnership between Università Federico II and Studio Legale Laura Cappello.

Quantifiable outcome

• First comprehensive national mapping of Italian blockchain ecosystem completed with 132+ companies analyzed across 16 sectors
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• Italian Digital Hub (IDH)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 April 2021Partnership with IDH association focused on digital transformation across all sectors. Collaboration extends networks of companies and competencies in new technologies, particularly for SMEs nationwide.
• APSP (Associazione Italiana Prestatori Servizi di Pagamento)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 April 2021Italian Payment Service Providers Association partnership to study blockchain implications in payment services. Collaborates to analyze blockchain applications in payment institutions and understand market evolution.
• VIMASS (Università degli Studi di Napoli Parthenope)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2021Partnership with the VIMASS research laboratory at Parthenope University focused on healthcare blockchain applications. The laboratory, directed by Professor Francesco Schiavone, analyzes DLT/blockchain applications across health sectors, involving companies, startups, and stakeholders.
• Blockchain LadiesflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 March 2021Partnership with Blockchain Ladies community (6,200+ women worldwide) to reduce gender gap in blockchain/crypto sectors. Joint initiatives include #BlockchainIsEqual survey, research reports on women in blockchain, and events to promote female participation in technology. Founded by Dr. Caterina Ferrara.
• Swiss Blockchain ConsortiumflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 February 2021Strategic partnership to extend IBNO's network to Italian-Swiss companies, particularly in FinTech. The Consortium is based in Canton Ticino with international scope, representing leading blockchain companies. Enables cross-border research collaboration and best practice sharing.
• AuthenticominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 February 2021Partnership focused on agri-food sector expertise and Italian Sounding phenomenon analysis. Authentico brings knowledge in food product monitoring and anti-counterfeiting, complementing IBNO's agrifood blockchain research.
• EutopianminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2021European Observatory for Democratic Innovation partnership. Collaboration aims to extend networks of companies and competencies in new technologies for better national territory mapping. Includes transparent sharing of ideas and visions for greater awareness in technology sectors.
• Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II (DEMI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Founding academic partner. The Department of Economics, Management, and Institutions (DEMI) of Federico II University conducts research and provides academic credibility to IBNO's blockchain ecosystem mapping. Key researchers include Cristina Mele, Tiziana Russo Spena, Adriana Carotenuto, and Erica Del Vacchio.
• Cryptodiamond S.r.lcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Founding private sector partner. Cryptodiamond is a blockchain company whose administrator, Luigi Di Benedetto, is also IBNO's founder. The company contributes industry expertise and operational support to the observatory.
• Italia4BlockchaincoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2019Founding industry association partner. Italia4Blockchain is a category association with over 500 members including professionals and companies in the blockchain sector. The association helped identify and involve companies for the national blockchain mapping.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Messari: Messari is a crypto research and analytics firm producing sector reports, ecosystem mappings, and free newsletter content. It is directly comparable to IBNO in offering research-led ecosystem intelligence for the blockchain industry, though at global scale rather than country-focused.
• Blockchain Research Institute: The Blockchain Research Institute produces strategic research on blockchain adoption across industries globally. Comparable to IBNO in producing rigorous, research-led reports on blockchain applications and ecosystem mapping, though at enterprise and global scale.
• The Block: The Block produces institutional-grade crypto research, newsletters, and data products. It overlaps with IBNO in providing blockchain research and analysis, with both operating a content-driven data and intelligence model targeting professional audiences.
• Cointelegraph Research: Cointelegraph Research produces institutional crypto and blockchain market reports across verticals including DeFi, NFTs, and regulation. It is directly comparable to IBNO's sector-report publishing model, though at a much larger international scale.

Broad incumbents

• Chainalysis: Chainalysis is the global leader in blockchain data analytics, producing extensive reports on crypto adoption across geographies. It is comparable to IBNO as a blockchain data and research provider, though operating at vastly larger scale and with proprietary analytics software rather than academic research methodology.
• CoinDesk Research: CoinDesk operates a major crypto news and research division publishing industry reports and newsletters. Comparable to IBNO as a research and content publisher in blockchain, with much broader audience reach and more comprehensive sector coverage.
• European Blockchain Observatory and Forum (EUBOF): EUBOF is an EU Commission initiative mapping and analyzing blockchain adoption across Europe. Directly comparable to IBNO's national observatory model, though EU-wide and policy-led rather than commercial research.

Regional players

• Crypto Valley Association: Crypto Valley Association is the leading Swiss blockchain ecosystem organization with deep connections to academic institutions. Comparable to IBNO as a research-adjacent national blockchain hub, with similar university ties and ecosystem mapping activities, though focused on Switzerland.
• Swiss Blockchain Consortium: The Swiss Blockchain Consortium is IBNO's flagship strategic partner representing leading blockchain companies in Canton Ticino. It is comparable as a national/regional blockchain industry body producing ecosystem research and policy advocacy, though focused on Switzerland rather than Italy.
• Italia4Blockchain: Italia4Blockchain is IBNO's founding industry association partner with 500+ members. It is directly comparable as a national-level blockchain community organization in Italy, though its role is association/advocacy rather than formal research observatory.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/osservatorio-ibno

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Osservatorio DLT/Blockchain Nazionale IBNO