BLOCKCHAIN EXPERT CONSULTING
Our mission: Provide expertise in blockchain technology and present it in a way anyone can understand.
Founder
J. Mason Bump, JD / MBA
Mason has been a thought-leader in this space since his time in law school, when he published his thesis on cryptocurrency and international monetary policy. After graduating in three years with both his JD and MBA, he practiced as a litigation and appellate law attorney, where his arguments were heard and accepted by the Iowa Supreme Court.
​
More recently, Mason has spent the past two years as a Protocol Specialist and Governance Expert at a leading blockchain infrastructure provider. In this time managing and researching dozens of network protocols, he has acquired a great amount of knowledge of blockchain systems and their many nuances. This knowledge and ability to communicate it, when combined with his legal background, makes him uniquely qualified to provide value to a well-defined legal strategy.
Credentials
Certified Cryptocurrency Forensic Investigator (CCFI)
McAfee Institute
I have completed licensing training and education as a Certified Cryptocurrency Forensic Investigator, which is considered by governmental authorities as "the first and only professional board certification program focused on cryptocurrency investigation throughout the world."
Certified Blockchain and Law Professional / Certified Blockchain Expert
Blockchain Council
In addition to self-education since 2015, I am certified by the Blockchain Council as both a Blockchain and Law Professional and as a Certified Blockchain Expert. Blockchain Council is an educational institute that certifies the skills and knowledge of those who complete its courses and achieve passing scores on written examinations.
Published Author on Application of Legal Principles to Blockchain
Iowa State Bar Association
Staking Company Articles
Personal Blog
Upon graduating law school I was awarded an International Law and Global Citizenship Certificate, for which I wrote my thesis on cryptocurrency and international monetary policy titled "Freedom From Fiat: International Custom and the Case for Individual, Free-Market Selection of Alternate Forms of Money." I have also written extensively on this subject for the Iowa State Bar Association magazine, personally on my Medium blog, and during my time as a Protocol Specialist at a leading blockchain infrastructure provider.
Leading Blockchain Infrastructure Provider
Protocol Specialist & On-Chain Governance Expert
I am a full-time Protocol Specialist and On-Chain Governance Expert (formerly Protocol Analyst) for one of the foremost infrastructure providers for proof-of-stake blockchains like Ethereum. This company maintains its status as a "Unicorn" staking firm with a valuation in excess of $1 billion. My work at this company requires me to master knowledge of dozens of blockchains, including the mechanics and economics of blockchain tokens. However, it should be noted that my services offered through Blockchain Expert Consulting are not connected to this company in any way.
Attorney-at-Law
Litigation, Appellate, and Transactional Experience
Prior to my time as a Protocol Specialist, I was a successful general practice attorney with a focus on litigation, appellate, and transactional work. Notably, my extensively briefed arguments resulted in a successful outcome for my client at the Iowa Supreme Court in the case of Grout v. Sickels (2023).
Iowa's First Tokenization Startup
Co-Founder
Recently I joined with a fellow attorney to form the first tokenization startup in the state of Iowa, which we continue to use as a development platform for projects and inventions.
Leading Digital Process Server Startup
Co-Founder
Another startup I recently co-founded is a promising project to provide legal service of process on-chain, which would allow aggrieved parties to provide notice of instigation of legal proceedings directly to an opposing party's cryptocurrency wallet in the event that alternate process cannot be made or the party cannot be reached otherwise.
Featured Speaker at International Blockchain Technology Conference
Nebular Summit, Paris, France
I was featured as an in-person speaker at the international blockchain developer conference called Nebular Summit in Paris, France in July 2023. At this time I spoke about the potential of smart contracts to improve the effectiveness of legal contracts in a presentation titled "Staking: Modern Building Materials for Contracts."
philosophy
Blockchain technology is merely a tool
We believe that many of the disagreements and apprehension surrounding decentralized technology could be solved with more context. Like standard contracts that preceded it, blockchain technology is merely a tool that can be used for any conceivable purpose, good or bad.
​
Technology is THE SUM OF the meaning people GIVE it
The root of value is the meaning ascribed to something by people. Without actual people using technology to secure information, property, or concepts, these systems are just intricate files full of ones and zeroes. Connecting the system’s purpose with the meaning for which someone used it is the core of our business.
​
Thoughtful expertise as an antidote to chaos
We have personally internalized the knowledge we provide, and can communicate it effectively to a wide range of audiences. This is helpful not only in developing case strategy, but also when it comes time to explain to a jury just exactly what happened in plain English.
​
Honesty and reliability
In order to provide the best possible service, honesty is both essential and helpful to prevent any surprises when they are least appreciated. Through candid conversations, we can develop a clear picture of a case’s strengths and weaknesses, and how best to utilize BEC’s expertise. The knowledge we possess has also been committed to a knowledge database that we use to prevent excessive amounts of preliminary information gathering.