1100 15th ST NW, Washington DC 20005
Introducing BlockShop, an incubator and event space in Washington DC dedicated to building blockchain solutions. Blockshop is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Why here?
Innovation develops within a complex regulatory, financial, social and global ecosystem. We provide a space in Washington DC for nuanced collaboration between public and private stakeholders focused on using blockchain technology to accomplish tangible goals.
Why now?
We need products, not promises. This industry is crowded with claims and platitudes, but few real-world solutions. BlockShop provides space and connections to help blockchain builders build.
Thanks to our sponsors
Incubator
Our incubator relies on a network of engineers who help each other to get their projects off the ground. It acts as an open-source foundation focusing on supporting technology that brings a positive impact on society and can benefit people beyond BlockShop. The participating engineers agree to contribute to each other's projects on a voluntary basis without claiming the ownership or enforcing any licensing. Our expertise spans across Software Development, IT Security, DevOps, AI, and Applied Linguistics. In addition to this, we pool together computational resources and help early-stage projects with project management and hiring efforts. We would like to thank GitHub, Google, AWS, and other technology partners who help offset our infrastructure costs.
An Event Space
Events
BlockShop organizes and hosts events with leaders from Wall Street, venture capital, the technology community, and government. Our events focus exclusively on concrete applications of blockchain solutions – i.e., products, not promises.
Networking
We also host networking events for BlockShop members and newbies. Rotating themes include start-up pitch nights, group brainstorming for specific industry issues, engagement with regulators and other policymakers, brass-tacks how-to talks, and more.
Our Team
Founders
David C Johnson
David C Johnson is a business-savvy technology lawyer based in the DC office of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman. He helps Fortune 500 companies and tech startups navigate the intersection of business, technology, and law. Prior to law school David worked in 40 countries over 7 years selling environmental remediation technologies.
Evgeny Dmitriev
Evgeny Dmitriev is an IT security expert. Before founding BlockShop and Inca Digital, he used to help people print money, arrest international fugitives, and elect U.S. presidents.
Adam Zarazinski
Adam Zarazinski is an attorney and blockchain entrepreneur. An Air Force JAG and Afghanistan Campaign veteran, he previously worked for INTERPOL and the World Health Organization. Adam has experience in small business development and fundraising across 3 continents.
Advisors
Kristin Smith
Kristin Smith runs the Blockchain Association, a Washington DC-based trade association that works to improve the public policy environment in order for the open blockchain technology ecosystem to thrive. Kristin leads the association’s engagement with its members and outreach to policymakers. She is responsible for the strategy that drives the organization’s education efforts, advocacy campaigns, and events. She also serves as the spokesperson for the association.
Les Aker
Les Aker is, what he calls, an ‘old school computer guy’. He is a computer scientist, consultant, and the president and founder of Gondolin, Inc. He has more than 35 years of professional experience working as an innovator and disruptive technologist in advanced research and development, much of that at the Naval Research Lab. He currently works heavily in blockchain technology and has designed cryptographic systems using very similar cryptographic algorithms, hashing and data encoding in the past.
Cleve Mesidor
Cleve Mesidor is founder of LOGOS, Publisher of Blockchain Buzz, and Former Obama Presidential Appointee & Capitol Hill Staffer. Cleve is very active in the NYC and Washington DC crypto communities. She is organizing the inaugural Women of Color in Blockchain Congressional Briefing and was a 2019 SXSW speaker. Additionally, Cleve was appointed to the Board of Library Trustees by DC’s Mayor in 2016 and worked in City Hall in NYC in 2017.
Jake Chervinsky
Jake Chervinsky is General Counsel for Compound Labs, a cryptocurrency company building a decentralized protocol for autonomous interest rate markets on the Ethereum blockchain. Before joining Compound, Jake worked in private practice at Kobre & Kim, representing individual and corporate clients in financial services litigation and government enforcement defense matters. Jake started his career at Baker McKenzie, where he focused on anti-corruption and anti-money laundering compliance and investigations.
Interested in joining the BlockShop as a community member? Please fill out our Community Member Contact Form.
Residents and Developers
Work out of BlockShop's offices, home of DC's blockchain community, located in the heart of Downtown DC, right next to the White House. They also enjoy:
• 24/7 access to the exclusive BlockShop co-working space
• Product presentation and demo opportunities
• Exclusive and preferred event access
• Collaboration with sponsors and industry leaders
Interested in joining the BlockShop as a resident? Apply to be a resident.
Current Residents
Our Nonprofit, Sponsored Model
The companies and projects selected by BlockShop are not charged. Rather, these teams contribute significant time and effort toward growing and supporting our community, while BlockShop’s costs (primarily rent and event expenses) are supported by sponsors and donors.
Please consider making a donation using one of the below methods. Every Bitcoin helps!
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