The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) recently launched a blockchain advisory group, inviting 26 organizations to participate, including the Ethereum Foundation, Cardano, and Stellar. This mechanism, announced on June 3rd at Proof of Talk 2026 in Paris, aims to facilitate more direct collaboration between development agencies and blockchain projects in real-world scenarios.
The first meeting focused on inclusive finance and digital identity.
This arrangement does not focus on token prices or crypto trading, but rather on discussions regarding public systems and public services. The United Nations Development Programme hopes to assess whether blockchain can improve transparency, reduce inefficiencies, and expand access to basic services beyond existing infrastructure.
The initial meeting focused on inclusive finance, digital finance, and digital identity. Participants raised several challenges, including a fragmented payment system, insufficient digital identity access, weak system interoperability, and varying levels of preparedness among institutions.
Pilot projects have been launched in multiple regions.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) stated that this advisory group builds upon its existing projects. Previously, the agency has supported numerous blockchain pilot projects in Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region.
- Inclusive Finance
- Digital Identity
- Climate Accountability and Digital Governance
In addition to the advisory group, AltFinLab, a UNDP organization, also hosted a series of events under the theme of "Promoting Blockchain Services for the Public Good." One of the showcase sessions focused on blockchain and decentralized AI projects that have entered the implementation phase.
The advisory group meets twice a year.
As currently scheduled, the Blockchain Advisory Group will hold two meetings annually. Subsequent topics will cover areas such as digital governance, public trust, legal identity, sustainable development, climate accountability, and digital work models.
The United Nations Development Programme stated that each subsequent meeting will focus on a specific theme, allowing policymakers, development agency experts, and blockchain industry participants to discuss actionable collaboration opportunities.
