POLICY BRIEF #55: How can blockchain impact public values? A playing-field-analysis

Contracts, transactions, and the records of them are among the defining structures in our government and public sector. Yet these critical tools and the bureaucracies managed by public institutions operate still much the same way as decades ago. At the same time, governments face challenges in the digital age and must find new ways in how to create trust in their systems while handling societal challenges. In this context, blockchain and other Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) applications in various public sectors have experienced a lot of attention in recent years because of their potential to enable effectiveness, trust and transparency. Still, the future of DLT implementation by governments is uncertain.

This policy brief presents results from a study conducted for the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK) in the Netherlands in 2021. The research aimed to investigate if DLT, can be a solution to overcome new challenges. Therefore, we ask three core questions: How can DLT be applied in the public sector? What public values can be strengthened or weakened through DLT adoption? And, what next steps should governments take regarding DLT?