DeFi Education Fund is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization advocating for sound DeFi policy — building mainstream understanding of decentralized finance and protecting the rights of developers, users, and projects to create decentralized infrastructure and technology.
DeFi Education Fund is distinguished by large grants aimed at shaping DeFi policy and building the field around it. In 2024, the foundation awarded $431,250 to Fight for the Future Education Fund for program support, and in 2023 it made a $375,876 grant to Fight for the Future Inc. for lobbying and grassroots campaign efforts around decentralized finance. Those awards show a funder that backs both public-facing advocacy and the organizational capacity needed to sustain it. The organization also uses grantmaking to develop policy expertise. It gave $125,000 to the Cato Institute for a fellow program at the Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives focused on decentralized finance, and $31,250 to the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars to host a fellow working on DeFi-related projects. Other grants support research and education through universities and think tanks, including Mercatus Center and NYU Stern School of Business. Across these grants, DeFi Education Fund supports nonprofits, research institutions, and fellowship placements tied to DeFi education, policy, legal work, and community mobilization. Its portfolio points to a strategy of influencing how decentralized finance is understood by policymakers, researchers, and public audiences.
In policy advocacy, DeFi Education Fund funded Fight for the Future Inc. with $375,876 in 2023 for lobbying and grassroots campaign efforts around decentralized finance. A separate 2024 grant of $431,250 to Fight for the Future Education Fund supported program work tied to the same issue area. For research and policy capacity, the funder gave $62,500 to Mercatus Center Inc. for a fellowship program focused on decentralized finance and the policy implications of the field, and another $62,500 to the Mercatus Center in 2024 for program support. It also backs fellow placements and policy education. The Cato Institute received $125,000 for a fellow program at its Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives, while the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars received $31,250 to host a fellow on DeFi-related projects.
The grant-size profile is mid-to-large, with a p25 of $54,688, a median of $62,500, and a p75 of $187,719. The recent list includes both a small award of $9,416 and a much larger $431,250 grant, showing a mix of rapid-response support and larger strategic commitments. The grants suggest repeat support to some recipients across years: Fight for the Future, Mercatus Center, and related fellowship or program support appear more than once. The funder operates through strategic grants, project and organizational grants, fellowships, and rapid grants. Rapid grants are available and accept unsolicited proposals; the other listed program types do not. The organization does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments.
$216K
$18.5M
$6.9M
$3.6M
Most grants fall between $55K and $188K, with a median of $63K.
25th Percentile
$55K
Median
$63K
75th Percentile
$188K
Miller Whitehouse-Levine
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DeFi Education Fund gives nationally, with all recent grants landing in the United States. Massachusetts is the top state by grant count, reflecting multiple awards in Boston, including grants to Fight for the Future Education Fund and Fight for the Future Inc. Washington, DC also appears as a recipient location, through the Cato Institute and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Arlington, VA and New York, NY are additional recipient cities in the recent list. The data shows 25% of grants going to recipients in DC.
Its grants go to nonprofits, universities, think tanks, and fellowship hosts working on DeFi policy, advocacy, public education, legal research, and community mobilization. Recent recipients include advocacy organizations, policy institutions, and academic centers.
Yes. The funder supports fellowship placements and fellowship programs, including a $125,000 grant to the Cato Institute for a fellow program and a $31,250 grant to the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars to host a fellow.
Typical awards cluster around the mid-five-figure range: the p25 is $54,688, the median is $62,500, and the p75 is $187,719. Recent grants range from $9,416 to $431,250.
Yes, for the DEF Rapid Grants program. That program accepts unsolicited proposals and is designed for rapid-response projects that can inform policy making affecting DeFi. The listed rapid-grant ceiling is $50,000.
By recipient location, Massachusetts is the top state by grant count. Washington, DC recipients also appear often, and the recent grant list includes Boston, Arlington, VA, and New York, NY.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Current and upcoming funding from Defi Education Fund that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Open to organizations or individuals working on projects that inform DeFi-related policy making, including grassroots, policy/legal, lobbying, and research efforts. The site explicitly invites organizations, academics, think tank scholars, and crypto market researchers to apply.
Deadline: Rolling; decisions within 72 hours after submission.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fight for the Future Education Fund | Boston, MA | $143,750 | 2025 | Program Support. |
| NYU Leonard N Stern School of Business | New York, NY | $62,500 | 2025 | Program Support. |
| Creative Outfit Inc | Villanova, PA | $10,000 | 2025 | Program Support. |
| Fight for the Future Education Fund | Boston, MA | $431,250 | 2024 | Program Support. |
| Mercatus Center | Arlington, VA | $62,500 | 2024 | Program Support. |
| NYU Leonard N Stern School of Business | New York, NY | $62,500 | 2024 | Program Support. |
| Fight for the Future Inc | Boston, MA | $375,876 | 2023 | The grant will be used to support the organization's lobbying and grassroots campaign efforts around decentralized finance (DeFi). Fight for the Future will build in-house capacity through its existing team to engage on crypto and DeFi policy issues. |
| Cato Institute | Washington, DC | $125,000 | 2023 | The grant will be used to support a fellow program at Cato's Center for Monetaryand Financial Alternatives focused on decentralized finance (DeFi) with the goal of building a new generation of researchers focused on DeFi by giving individuals the opportunity to study the space. |
| Mercatus Center Inc | Arlington, VA | $62,500 | 2023 | The grant will be used to support a fellowship program focused on decentralized finance (DeFi) with the goal of building the first generation of researchers focused on DeFi and studying the policy implications of DeFi. |
| The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars | Washington, DC | $31,250 | 2023 | The grant will be used to support the Wilson Center as they host a fellow to work on decentralized finance (DeFi) related projects. |
| Kamal Hubbard (Cards Coins & Comix LLC) | Hayward, CA | $9,416 | 2023 | The grant will be used to support an advocacy and educational tour throughout the U.S. to engage with lawmakers, school officials, and STEM focused nonprofits that serve black populations to inform them on what decentralized finance (DeFi) is and why it has the ability to bring greater financial equity to a community that has been historically shut out of the legacy financial system. |
Creative Outfit Inc
$10,000Program Support.
Program Support.
The grant will be used to support the organization's lobbying and grassroots campaign efforts around decentralized finance (DeFi). Fight for the Future will build in-house capacity through its existing team to engage on crypto and DeFi policy issues.
The grant will be used to support a fellow program at Cato's Center for Monetaryand Financial Alternatives focused on decentralized finance (DeFi) with the goal of building a new generation of researchers focused on DeFi by giving individuals the opportunity to study the space.
The grant will be used to support a fellowship program focused on decentralized finance (DeFi) with the goal of building the first generation of researchers focused on DeFi and studying the policy implications of DeFi.
The grant will be used to support the Wilson Center as they host a fellow to work on decentralized finance (DeFi) related projects.
Kamal Hubbard (Cards Coins & Comix LLC)
$9,416The grant will be used to support an advocacy and educational tour throughout the U.S. to engage with lawmakers, school officials, and STEM focused nonprofits that serve black populations to inform them on what decentralized finance (DeFi) is and why it has the ability to bring greater financial equity to a community that has been historically shut out of the legacy financial system.
