What Virginia Blockchain Council does

Virginia Blockchain Council (VBC) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit, non-partisan membership organization founded in 2022 and based in Richmond, Virginia. It originated from a Bitcoin-focused community meetup established in 2017 and formalizes its mission across three pillars: Advocacy, Community, and Education. VBC serves blockchain professionals, startups, enterprise leaders, and policymakers in Virginia through regional meetup chapters in Central Virginia/Richmond, NOVA, and Tidewater, and through direct engagement with the Virginia General Assembly and the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission's Joint Commission on Technology and Science (JCOTS) Blockchain Advisory Committee. The organization claims 1,400+ members statewide and is a founding member of the U.S. Blockchain States Coalition, a federation of 40+ state blockchain councils.

VBC's core offerings include policy advocacy (working with Virginia lawmakers on legislation such as SB 339, SB 439, and HB 1796), community events (monthly regional meetups and demo days), educational resources (blockchain learning materials and legislative updates), and an affiliate store featuring Trezor, Swan Bitcoin, iTrustCapital, and River.com. The organization does not develop or operate any proprietary technology platform; its technical footprint consists of a GoDaddy-hosted website, Donorbox for membership/donations, and Meetup.com groups for chapter coordination. Leadership comprises Founder and Executive Director Greg Leffel, COO Alexander Mann, several Directors, a Steering Committee of 40+ founding members, and an Advisory Board with representatives from Circle, IEEE, Satoshi Action Fund, DNA.FUND, Marsh McClennan, and Rikka Law.

Revenue is generated through three narrow streams: membership fees processed via Donorbox, voluntary donations, and affiliate referral commissions from cryptocurrency service providers. Membership pricing is not publicly disclosed. The organization's governance is volunteer-driven, with no equity structure, no funding rounds, and no disclosed financial figures. Operating geographies are limited to Virginia, though the U.S. Blockchain States Coalition affiliation provides a national coordination channel.

Name

Virginia Blockchain Council

Legal name

Virginia Blockchain Council

Website

https://vablockcouncil.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Virginia Blockchain Council is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit membership organization that advocates for blockchain-friendly policy, hosts regional meetups, and educates members and Virginia lawmakers on blockchain technology. It serves 1,400+ blockchain professionals, startups, and policymakers across the Commonwealth.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Blockchain Industry Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Consortium Networks & Governance (network setup, onboarding, rules, node operations) (FSAPAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Delegation, Representation & Voting Power Markets (FSAPAHAG)

Keywords

• Blockchain advocacy
• Policy advocacy services
• Community networking
• Blockchain education
• Nonprofit membership

Headquarters

HQ city

Richmond

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Nonprofit membership organization accepting members through Donorbox platform. Annual membership fees support advocacy, community building, and educational efforts.
2. Affiliate Referrals: Store partnerships with Trezor, Swan Bitcoin, and iTrustCapital generate affiliate revenue through referral codes. These nominal payments support education and community building efforts.
3. Donations: Accepts donations from supporters to fund nonprofit advocacy and educational mission.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Virginia Blockchain Council is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit membership organization that serves Virginia's blockchain ecosystem through three pillars: Advocacy (legislative engagement with the Virginia General Assembly and JCOTS Blockchain Advisory Committee), Community (regional meetup chapters in Central Virginia/Richmond, NOVA, and Tidewater), and Education (blockchain learning resources, workshops, and white papers). It connects 1,400+ blockchain professionals, startups, enterprise leaders, and policymakers to influence blockchain-friendly regulation in the Commonwealth.

Product overview

Virginia Blockchain Council is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization offering a three-pillar service portfolio: Advocacy, Community, and Education. The organization connects blockchain professionals through regional meetup chapters (Central VA/Richmond, NOVA, Tidewater), advocates for pro-growth blockchain legislation in Virginia's General Assembly and Congress, and provides educational resources about Bitcoin and blockchain technologies. An affiliate store generates revenue through partnerships with cryptocurrency service providers including hardware wallet vendors and digital asset investment platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Advocacy Services
• Community Events / Regional Meetup Chapters
• Educational Resources
• VBC Affiliate Store
• Membership Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,400+ members statewide
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• U.S. Blockchain States CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding member of the U.S. Blockchain States Coalition, a federation of 40+ state blockchain councils. Brings Virginia's voice to the national stage while helping local innovators stay ahead of the curve.
• TrezorminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHardware wallet affiliate partner through VBC store. Members receive 10% discount with code VABLOCK. Affiliate payments support VBC education and community building efforts.
• Swan BitcoinminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBitcoin savings platform affiliate partner featured in VBC store. Affiliate payments support VBC education and community building efforts.
• iTrustCapitalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDigital Asset IRA affiliate partner. New accounts receive $100 reward. Affiliate payments support VBC education and community building efforts.
• River.comminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFinancial services partner with VBC branding and referral links visible on about page.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Web3 Foundation: Swiss foundation stewarding the Polkadot/Substrate ecosystem with grants, research and policy support. Operates upstream in the blockchain ecosystem rather than as a state advocacy body, but shares the mission of advancing decentralized technology adoption.

Direct peers

• Coin Center: Leading nonprofit crypto policy and advocacy think tank focused on U.S. regulation. Comparable mission of educating policymakers and shaping favorable legislation, though with a national/research orientation rather than a state-community model.
• Crypto Council for Innovation: Global alliance advocating for the responsible growth of crypto and digital assets. Comparable in advocacy function and policy-engagement model, but with an international and industry-member focus rather than grassroots state community.
• Blockchain Association: National trade association representing leading blockchain companies and protocols. Overlaps with VBC's advocacy mission but addresses federal rather than state-level policy. A potential partner or substitute for member companies seeking policy voice.
• PA Blockchain Association: Pennsylvania-based state blockchain trade association. Closely analogous in structure, with a Council of Advisors overlapping with VBC (Dominic Folino sits on VBC's advisory board while leading PA Blockchain Association). Competes for the same federation members and sponsor pool.
• Chamber of Digital Commerce: The largest U.S. digital asset trade association, focused on federal and state policy advocacy for the blockchain industry. Comparable mission (advocacy, education, networking) but operates at a national scale rather than a single state.
• Satoshi Action Fund: Pro-Bitcoin political advocacy organization. Dennis Porter (CEO) sits on VBC's advisory board, indicating tight ecosystem ties. Comparable pro-blockchain legislative advocacy mission and overlaps in donor and policymaker relationships.
• Texas Blockchain Council: State-level blockchain advocacy organization operating a similar model of policy engagement, member meetups, and legislative outreach. Directly comparable as a peer state council competing for members, sponsors and policy influence in the U.S. Blockchain States Coalition.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/VABlockCouncil
• Facebookfacebook.com/vablockcouncil
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vablockcouncil

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Virginia Blockchain Council