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Who Funds Blockchain Startups in Illinois?

Real, verified funding sources for blockchain founders in Illinois: VC funds, accelerators, angel networks, and active grant programs — sourced from SEC filings and Grants.gov, not estimates.

No funds headquartered in Illinois matched "Blockchain" by name — the funds below are shown nationwide instead.

ℹBlockchain Funding Snapshot — Illinois (as of July 2026)

1
10 VC funds (nationwide)with "Blockchain" in their name — none headquartered in Illinois in our data
2
7 acceleratorsopen to blockchain founders in Illinois (including globally-available programs)
3
6 angel networksbased in Illinois
4
52 open grantsin the Technology category, refreshed nightly from Grants.gov

Blockchain VC Funds (Nationwide)

showing 10 of 25

Standard Crypto Venture

📍 San Francisco, CA📅 Filed February 2022

General partners: Adam Goldberg, Alok Vasudev

$418.1M

Effective fund size

Blockchain Capital V, LP

📍 San Francisco, CA

General partners: P. Bart Stephens, W. Bradford Stephens, Spencer Bradford Bogart

$250M

Effective fund size

Palmera Crypto Partners Offshore Fund I LP

📍 Miami, FL

General partners: David Wang

$80M

Effective fund size

CitizenX Crypto Ventures Fund II, LP

📍 Spring Hill, TN

General partners: Giles Carmichael, Emilio DiSanluciano, Darren Cohen & 1 more

$50M

Effective fund size

Tribe Crypto Capital I LLC Series 1

📍 San Francisco, CA📅 Filed January 2022

General partners: Arjun Sethi

$32.5M

Effective fund size

Tribe Crypto Global Fund I Corp.

📍 San Francisco, CA📅 Filed December 2021

General partners: Arjun Sethi, Jake Ellowitz

$31.1M

Effective fund size

Delta Blockchain Fund LP

📍 New York, NY📅 Filed September 2021

General partners: Kavita Gupta

$30.4M

Effective fund size

Canonical Crypto Fund II, L.P.

📍 Orinda, CA

General partners: Anand N/A Iyer

$30M

Effective fund size

Delta Blockchain Fund QP LP

📍 New York, NY📅 Filed November 2021

General partners: Kavita Gupta

$29.5M

Effective fund size

Blockchain Builders Fund I, LP

📍 New York, NY📅 Filed April 2023

General partners: Gil Rosen

$27.5M

Effective fund size

Blockchain Accelerators Open to Illinois

7 programs

Techstars Chicago

Chicago, IL

Techstars Chicago

$120K

Deadline: Rolling / no fixed deadline

TechNexus Venture Collaborative

Chicago, IL

TechNexus Venture Collaborative

Varies

Deadline: Rolling / no fixed deadline

1871

Chicago, IL

1871

Varies

Deadline: Rolling / no fixed deadline

Polsky Center (UChicago)

Chicago, IL

Polsky Center (UChicago)

Varies

Deadline: Rolling / no fixed deadline

Northwestern Jumpstart Pre-Accelerator

Evanston, IL

Northwestern Jumpstart Pre-Accelerator

Varies

Deadline: Rolling / no fixed deadline

TechRise (P33 / Verizon / 1871)

Chicago, IL

TechRise (P33 / Verizon / 1871)

Varies

Deadline: Rolling / no fixed deadline

Alliance DAO

Global

Alliance DAO

$250K - $500K

Deadline: Rolling / no fixed deadline

Angel Investor Networks in Illinois

6 networks

Hyde Park Angels

👥 210 members💰 $25K - $500K check range

📍 Chicago, IL

TechnologyHealthcareConsumerFintechSaaS

Kellogg Angels

👥 100 members💰 $25K - $200K check range

📍 Evanston, IL

TechnologyHealthcareConsumerFintechSaaS

Keiretsu Forum Midwest

👥 80 members💰 $25K - $500K check range

📍 Chicago, IL

TechnologyHealthcareConsumerFintechSaaS

Chicago Angels

👥 200 members💰 $15K - $200K check range

📍 Chicago, IL

TechnologyHealthcareFinancial ServicesConsumer

Chicago Ventures

👥 50 members💰 $100K - $2M check range

📍 Chicago, IL

TechnologySaaSConsumerMarketplace

Illinois Ventures Angels

👥 50 members💰 $25K - $200K check range

📍 Champaign, IL

TechnologyDeep TechLife SciencesAgriculture Tech

Grants in the Technology Category

Blockchain falls under the broader "Technology" category in federal grant data. These are federal programs open to eligible founders nationwide (including Illinois) — live from Grants.gov, refreshed nightly.

NSF Trailblazer Engineering Impact Award

U.S. National Science Foundation

Deadline: July 24, 2026Apply →

Small Business Innovation Research / Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I, Phase II, Fast-Track Programs (SBIR/STTR): A Pilot Emphasis on Scientific Instrumentation.

U.S. National Science Foundation

Deadline: July 27, 2026Apply →

Integrated Data Systems & Services

U.S. National Science Foundation

$500K - $30M

Deadline: July 28, 2026Apply →

Science of Learning and Augmented Intelligence

U.S. National Science Foundation

From $550

Deadline: August 5, 2026Apply →

Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology - Research Infrastructure for Science and Engineering

U.S. National Science Foundation

$100K - $2M

Deadline: August 7, 2026Apply →

Correctness for Scientific Computing Systems

U.S. National Science Foundation

Deadline: August 11, 2026Apply →

?Blockchain Funding FAQs — Illinois

Are there blockchain VCs headquartered in Illinois?

We don't have any funds headquartered in Illinois whose name references blockchain. Below are blockchain-related funds from across the country instead — many invest outside their home state.

What accelerators in Illinois support blockchain startups?

7 accelerator programs open to Illinois-based blockchain founders are in our database, including programs based in Illinois and globally-available programs.

Are there angel investor networks in Illinois?

Yes — 6 angel investor networks based in Illinois are in our database, ranked by member count with blockchain-relevant groups surfaced first where our sector data supports it.

What grants are available for blockchain founders?

52 currently open federal grant programs are tagged under the Technology category, which is where blockchain falls in our grant classification. These are federal programs open to eligible founders nationwide (including Illinois), pulled live from Grants.gov and refreshed nightly.

Your Blockchain Funding Action Plan

1

Research & Prepare

Review the 10 blockchain-matched funds above and their filing history
Check each fund's website for current investment criteria before reaching out
Prepare a pitch deck and financial projections tailored to your stage

2

Apply & Connect

Apply to the 7 accelerator programs listed above
Reach out to the 6 angel networks in Illinois
Check eligibility for the 6 open grant programs above

3

Follow Up

Track deadlines for any application-based programs above
Look for warm introductions through your existing network before cold outreach
Revisit this page periodically — fund and grant data refreshes nightly

Related Funding Resources

Other Industries in Illinois

Artificial Intelligence Funding in Illinois →Machine Learning Funding in Illinois →Deep Tech Funding in Illinois →Quantum Computing Funding in Illinois →Software As A Service Funding in Illinois →

Blockchain in Other Locations

Blockchain Funding in Alabama →Blockchain Funding in Alaska →Blockchain Funding in Arizona →Blockchain Funding in Arkansas →Blockchain Funding in California →

More Resources

All Blockchain VC Funds →Blockchain Accelerator Programs →Angel Networks Directory →Government Grant Database →Free Startup Resources →

Fund and angel network data sourced from SEC Form D filings (EDGAR). Grant data sourced from Grants.gov, refreshed nightly. Last generated July 22, 2026.