John Hargrave, BBA co-founder and former board member
When we founded the Boston Blockchain Association in 2019, none of us could fully predict where this industry -- or the world -- would be seven years later.
We had conviction, curiosity, and a community. What we didn’t have was clarity.
Seven years on, it’s remarkable to see how far both the industry and the BBA have come.
Our current board chair, Doug Mehne, has continually stressed the importance of building blockchain “the right way.” This has proven to be a useful North Star, a grounding principle during periods of great exuberance and great anxiety.
In the early years -- and especially during the previous administration -- doing it “the right way” meant helping our community navigate regulatory complexity. Builders, investors, and entrepreneurs were operating in legal ambiguity, shifting guidance, and real existential risk for companies trying to act in good faith. Those were tough times, but the BBA was there to create education, dialogue, and advocacy for this industry.
Today, the challenges look different. Building “the right way” now means grappling with real-world adoption, institutional involvement, and the responsibility that comes with a seat at the table. It means designing systems that are transparent and worthy of trust. It means resisting shortcuts, even when the market tempts them. And it means remembering that this technology, blockchain technology, is reshaping power, access, and opportunity.
Through all of this, the BBA’s board has wrestled honestly with what leadership looks like in each new phase of the industry. They’ve brought passion, thoughtfulness, and a willingness to engage with hard questions … usually before there were clear answers. And they stayed politically neutral, resisting the siren song of turning the BBA into just another crypto lobbying group.
At its core, the BBA’s mission has remained constant: to connect, advocate, and educate around an industry that is reshaping the global financial system.
As a co-founder and former board member, I feel deep gratitude -- and no small amount of awe -- watching the community continue to grow and mature. The work is far from done. But if the last seven years have taught us anything, it’s that building blockchain the right way isn’t just about politics or prices.
It’s about people. And we in Boston are fortunate to have a community of people committed to getting it right.
