James Marchant is on a mission to make blockchain useful, profitable, and scalable—starting with the startups he’s nurturing across the UK and Southeast Asia.
As the Executive Chairman of Block Dojo, Marchant is spearheading the UK’s most prolific blockchain startup incubator. His work has contributed to nearly a quarter of all blockchain fundraises in the country and is now expanding internationally. But Block Dojo is just one part of his growing tech empire.
From founding Rekord AG, a blockchain-IoT hybrid firm, to previously leading commercialization at nChain, Marchant is carving out a reputation as one of blockchain’s most pragmatic builders—someone less interested in hype and more focused on real-world applications.
From startup operator to ecosystem architect
Marchant’s journey through the blockchain world is anything but typical. After rising to Deputy CEO and CCO at nChain—one of the space’s most well-funded R&D firms—he shifted focus to building solutions with commercial value.
That led to Rekord AG, a company using the BSV blockchain to record and manage IoT data across industrial and healthcare environments. Its products, including the VortexSV gateway and Rekord IQ platform, are already in deployment with enterprise clients.
One major project involved integrating blockchain into the manufacturing process of a UK-based medical device firm—improving traceability and cutting insurance costs by creating a real-time, immutable audit trail.
Block Dojo: The startup factory behind UK blockchain success
But Marchant’s biggest impact may be through Block Dojo, which he chairs. The incubator has become a force in the UK startup landscape, supporting founders from idea to investment with tailored programs, technical training, and funding access.
“We’re not just building apps. We’re building infrastructure for an entirely new internet,” Marchant said during a keynote. “And the founders coming through Block Dojo are the ones who’ll run it.”
According to recent stats, 24% of UK blockchain startup fundraises in 2022 came from Dojo-backed teams.
The incubator is now expanding. Its new Philippines program—in collaboration with top universities like Ateneo de Manila—is designed to foster local talent and strengthen blockchain education in Southeast Asia.
Scaling blockchain without the hype
Where many blockchain leaders chase buzzwords, Marchant stays grounded in business fundamentals. He focuses on traceability, data integrity, and building technology with measurable ROI.
With over 15,000 LinkedIn followers, he’s a respected voice in the Web3 space, regularly posting about startup scaling, commercial adoption, and global expansion.
His vision? To bridge the gap between academic blockchain innovation and real-world business deployment.
