The United Nations Development Programme (@UNDP) launched its Blockchain Advisory Group (BAG) on June 3, 2026 in Paris during the Proof of Talk 2026 conference, bringing together senior leade
The United Nations Development Programme (@UNDP) launched its Blockchain Advisory Group (BAG) on June 3, 2026 in Paris during the Proof of Talk 2026 conference, bringing together senior leaders from across the blockchain ecosystem to explore how the technology can help tackle development challenges, support digital public infrastructure and strengthen public systems. The group counts 26 member organizations, from the Ethereum Foundation and Cardano Foundation to Kraken and the Dfinity Foundation.
It is one of the clearest signals yet that the UN's development arm wants a permanent seat at the table with the blockchain industry. Not for token speculation, but for the unglamorous work of payments, identity and public services.
The group is chaired by Haoliang Xu (@HaoliangXu), UNDP Associate Administrator. Xu said the key question is how fast-moving blockchain innovations can contribute to "stronger public systems and better development outcomes for people and planet."
The stated goal is to move from dialogue to action. The group builds on years of UNDP pilot projects testing blockchain across Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, Europe and Asia-Pacific, covering use cases such as digital payments, climate finance, digital identity and public procurement. Preparatory discussions began in late 2025, with a technical working meeting in Copenhagen that November laying the groundwork for the formal launch.
The inaugural meeting in Paris focused on financial inclusion and digital finance. Discussions covered fragmented payment systems, digital identity constraints, interoperability challenges and institutional readiness, the practical barriers that keep billions of people outside the formal financial system.
The membership spans layer 1 foundations, infrastructure firms, exchanges, nonprofits and media. The full list:
The mix is deliberate. Ecosystems like Ethereum, Cardano, Avalanche, Sui and Stellar bring the core infrastructure. Kraken adds an exchange perspective. Groups like Giveth and Funding the Commons represent the public goods side, while Cointelegraph and NEARWeek keep media in the room.
Members did not just show up for the photo. Dfinity Foundation chief business officer Pierre Samaties (@PierreSamaties), who attended the Paris sessions, argued afterward that while token ledgers drove the first wave of blockchain use cases, "the real impact of the technology for public good will come from compute." It is a notable framing from inside the room, suggesting the group's scope will stretch beyond payments into decentralized infrastructure itself.
The Blockchain Advisory Group will meet twice a year, each time around a different theme. Future topics include public trust and digital governance, inclusive legal identity, financial inclusion, sustainability and climate accountability, and digital labor.
UNDP says it wants concrete collaboration opportunities and public-good pilots to emerge from these sessions, not just talking points. A multi-stakeholder group of this size that meets biannually has the structure to produce recommendations that filter into national policy discussions, making it worth watching even for readers who are skeptical of UN working groups.
For the blockchain industry, the appeal is obvious. A standing channel into the UN's development machinery offers legitimacy and a path to real-world deployments in markets where the technology's case is strongest.
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