UN Launches Blockchain Advisory Group With Sui, Avalanche, Cardano

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has formally launched a Blockchain Advisory Group (BAG), bringing together major blockchain ecosystems to explore how distributed ledger technology can support public services and sustainable development.

A 26-Member Group Covering the Breadth of Blockchain

The UNDP launched the Blockchain Advisory Group on 3 June 2026 in Paris during Proof of Talk 2026, bringing together senior leaders from across the blockchain ecosystem to explore how blockchain technologies can help address development challenges, support digital public infrastructure, and strengthen public systems.

The Blockchain Advisory Group includes 26 members, among them the Ethereum Foundation, Kraken, and multiple organizations active in digital identity infrastructure such as the Partisia Blockchain Foundation, Algorand Foundation, Arbitrum, Cardano Foundation, Celo Foundation, Dfinity Foundation, and Sui Foundation. The group also includes @StellarOrg, @SuiNetwork, @avax, and @Cardano, among others.

The group will meet twice a year, each time with a different development theme.

Financial Inclusion at the Centre of First Discussions

Chaired by UNDP Associate Administrator Haoliang Xu, the inaugural meeting focused on financial inclusion and digital finance as its first deep-dive theme. Discussion centered on barriers to access, including fragmented payment systems, digital identity constraints, interoperability challenges, and institutional readiness, and how blockchain may complement existing infrastructure to expand access, improve efficiency, and strengthen transparency.

Across Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, UNDP is collaborating with governments and partners to explore blockchain applications in digital payments, climate finance, digital identity, traceability, public procurement, and service delivery.

The UNDP says this kind of collaboration helps close the gap between policy and technology, allowing governments to better understand where blockchain adds real value and where traditional systems still work better.

Sources:
UNDP: Blockchain Advisory Group Launch
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