Who Can Launch a Fund Campaign
Eligibility rules for launching a BlockReel Fund campaign, including country restrictions, verification requirements, and project scope.
Who Can Launch a Fund Campaign
Eligibility, country rules, and verification requirements.
BlockReel Fund is open to filmmakers globally, but the rules differ depending on which payment rail you want to use. This guide covers every eligibility requirement so you know before you build.
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1. Project scope 2. Account requirements 3. Country eligibility by rail 4. The OFAC sanctioned countries list 5. Verified Filmmaker status 6. Age and legal capacity 7. Team and company campaigns 8. What is not allowed 9. Workarounds for restricted countries
Project scope
Your project must be a film or directly serve filmmakers. We accept:
- Narrative or documentary feature films
- Short films (any length under 40 minutes)
- Episodic and web series, including pilots and proof of concept episodes
- Music videos, visual albums, and experimental film
- Animated films of any length or technique
- Film-adjacent projects: festival travel, distribution campaigns, screening tours, archival restorations, behind-the-scenes books, soundtrack pressings, gear rental fund pools for specific productions
We do not accept: software products, hardware gadgets unrelated to filmmaking, generic creative writing, video games, podcasts unless tied to a film, or charity drives that are not project-specific.
Account requirements
Before you can launch, you need:
- A BlockReel account (free signup with email or Google)
- A verified email address
- A complete profile with display name, avatar, and short bio
- For Stripe rail: a connected Stripe Express account (set up during launch)
- For Solana rail: a connected Solana wallet (Phantom, Solflare, or any standard wallet)
You can complete most of this during the campaign build, but verification can take time, so handle it early.
Country eligibility by rail
This is the most important section. Read it before you build anything.
Stripe rail (fiat, credit card pledges):
- Only available to creators based in the United States or Canada
- This restriction exists because of tax reporting requirements (1099-K in the US, T4A in Canada)
- If you live elsewhere and want to use Stripe, you need a US or Canadian legal representative with a US or Canadian business entity and bank account in their name. The Stripe account, tax forms, and payouts all run through them.
Solana rail (USDC, USDT, SOL pledges):
- Available to creators based in any country in the world, with one exception: countries on the US Treasury OFAC sanctions list (covered next)
- No tax forms issued by us; you self-report income according to your country's tax law
- Backers must pass the same sanctions screening (sanctions-screened wallet plus geo-attestation)
Both rails on one campaign:
- Only available if you qualify for Stripe (US or Canada based)
- Recommended for US and Canadian creators because it maximizes pledge volume
The OFAC sanctioned countries list
The US Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) maintains a list of countries under comprehensive sanctions. Creators and backers in these countries cannot use Fund on either rail. As of 2026, the list we enforce includes:
- Cuba (CU)
- Iran (IR)
- North Korea (KP)
- Syria (SY)
- Russia (RU)
If you are an individual citizen of one of these countries but currently reside and have legal residency in a non-sanctioned country, you can launch a campaign as long as the funds flow to a non-sanctioned country bank account or wallet.
The list is enforced through three mechanisms:
1. IP-level geoblocking on /fund/* routes (HTTP 451 response) 2. A mandatory geo-attestation checkbox at campaign creation and at every pledge 3. On-chain wallet screening through a sanctions oracle for Solana pledges and creator payout wallets
Verified Filmmaker status
You do not need Verified Filmmaker status to launch a Fund campaign. Anyone with a complete profile can launch.
However, verification helps in three ways:
- Verified campaigns surface higher in /fund discovery
- Verified creators get a blue checkmark on the campaign page (trust signal for backers)
- Verified status unlocks a slightly higher initial campaign cap (relevant if your goal exceeds $100K)
Apply at /verify-filmmaker. Verification usually takes 3-7 business days.
Age and legal capacity
You must be at least 18 years old to launch a campaign. If you are between 13 and 17, a parent or legal guardian can launch on your behalf using their own Stripe or wallet, and you can be credited as the project lead on the page.
Team and company campaigns
Campaigns can be launched in your personal name or under a registered company. If you launch under a company:
- The Stripe Express account must be in the company name with company tax ID (EIN in US, BN in Canada)
- The Solana payout wallet should be a wallet held by the company, not a personal wallet
- Co-creator credits are added on the campaign page; they do not need separate accounts to be credited but should have accounts to receive backer messages
If your company is structured as an LLC, corporation, or production partnership, set this up before you launch. Switching from personal to company payouts mid-campaign is not possible.
What is not allowed
Even within the rules above, the following will get a campaign removed:
- Campaigns for projects that already exist and are not seeking funds for a defined next step
- Campaigns where the rewards are pyramid-shaped (rewards depend on recruiting more backers)
- Campaigns for content that violates platform Terms of Service (illegal content, hate speech, harassment material)
- Campaigns that misrepresent the team, the project, or the funding need
- Duplicate campaigns for the same project running simultaneously across multiple platforms with conflicting funding goals (you may run on multiple platforms, but the goals and timelines must be coordinated, not adversarial)
Workarounds for restricted countries
If you are outside US and Canada and want fiat pledges:
1. Use the Solana rail only. Most backers can buy USDC on Coinbase, Binance, or any exchange in under 10 minutes. This is the simplest path. 2. Set up a US or Canadian LLC. Services like Stripe Atlas, Firstbase, or Doola can register a US LLC for non-residents. Cost is usually $500-1000 plus annual fees. This unlocks the Stripe rail. 3. Partner with a US or Canadian co-producer. Run the campaign under their legal name with a written agreement governing how funds are split after receipt.
If you are in a sanctioned country, none of these workarounds apply: the platform is closed to you under US law.
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Next: Choosing Your Payment Rail walks through which rail to enable for your specific project.