The United Nations Development Programme has established a blockchain advisory group to explore applications in public services

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) recently announced the establishment of the Blockchain Advisory Group (BAG) during the Proof of Talk 2026 in Paris, focusing on optimizing public systems and governance through blockchain technology. The first meeting was chaired by UNDP Deputy Administrator Xu Haoliang, with the initial in-depth topic being inclusive finance and digital finance, discussing obstacles such as fragmented payment systems, limited digital identities, insufficient interoperability, and institutional readiness, while assessing how blockchain can complement existing digital public infrastructure to enhance financial accessibility, efficiency, and transparency.

BAG plans to hold two meetings each year to promote cooperation with the blockchain ecosystem around themes such as digital governance and public trust, legal identity and inclusive societies, digital financial services, climate and traceable accountability, digital labor and the future of work. Current members include 26 institutions such as the Ethereum Foundation, Filecoin Foundation, Stellar Development Foundation, Algorand Foundation, Arbitrum Foundation, Celo Foundation, Web3 Foundation, and Kraken.