BAF
Nonprofit accelerating blockchain education and community
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This content is generated by RD AI and is for reference only
BAF (Blockchain Acceleration Foundation) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on accelerating blockchain adoption through education, community, and impact-driven programs. Its core activities include blockchain education courses for university students, hackathons, builder residencies, and open-source tools. Participants can access course materials, join offline events, or connect with the global community via the official website to learn blockchain development skills and network with industry resources.
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About BAF
BAF (Blockchain Acceleration Foundation) is a nonprofit founded in 2018 and headquartered in Santa Barbara, California, focused on Web3 education for university students and early-career professionals. Its main activities include university tours, a builder residency program, conference activations, an ambassador program, and an open-source Blockchain Club Toolkit that serves as an operating playbook for student blockchain clubs. BAF also partners with protocols such as Stellar to run in-person bootcamps and hackathons across Latin America.
The core pain point BAF addresses is that universities lack accredited blockchain courses, student clubs struggle with funding and career pathways, and the industry lacks locally trained builders. Its narrative centers on "global growth, local impact," using partnerships with local communities, universities, and government bodies to bring blockchain education beyond major tech hubs.
Over the past six months (March to September 2026), BAF completed the Morpho Studio program in Costa Rica with ZEEK, educating 107 participants and incubating 15 teams over five weeks, with a Demo Day attracting over 750 live viewers. In Salta, Argentina, BAF organized a 48-hour Stellar-focused hackathon at Puna Tech 2026 with 120+ attendees. At VendimiaTech's University Day, BAF, together with the Stellar Development Foundation and Red UniBlock, held roundtable discussions with university administrators on integrating blockchain into curricula. No major negative events involving BAF were found in the past two years.
In the past six months, BAF focused on Latin America, driving Web3 education and practical adoption through local programs.
Key Progress:
- Costa Rica Morpho Studio (with ZEEK): 126 registered for the bootcamp (78 with zero blockchain background), 107 completed the Stellar curriculum; Morpho Hack on May 14 featured 8 Stellar projects, 15 teams advanced to Demo Day, with some already in talks with government entities.
- Argentina University Outreach: Hosted University Day in Mendoza and other cities, partnering with UNCuyo to integrate blockchain courses into academia.
- Pan-LatAm PULSO Hackathon (with Nearx & Stellar Development Foundation): Covering Argentina, Colombia, and Brazil, requiring a functional Stellar MVP in 10 days; finals held simultaneously on July 6, with top 3 teams per country receiving fully-funded trips to Stellar Summit SP.
Future Focus:
- Deepen university partnerships across LatAm to establish permanent blockchain curricula.
- Use hackathon-plus-accelerator models to identify and nurture early-stage Stellar projects.
- Expand the Costa Rica/Argentina playbook to additional LatAm countries.
Cameron Dennis: Founder & Chairman of BAF. Founded BAF in 2018, served as President, now Chairman; also Director of AI at NEAR Foundation and co-founder of Blockchain at UCSB.
Nour Assili: Co-President. Long-time BAF contributor supporting university blockchain clubs; assumed Co-President in January 2024.
Isabelle Ki: Head of Operations. Oversees cross-border execution, partner strategy, compliance, and Web3 technical activations; previously Head of NA Growth Operations.