UNDP will initially work with four governments, with formal approvals expected in the next one to two weeks. The effort expands on the organization’s internal blockchain academy, which previously focused on UN staff education. This time, the scope goes further. Training is only the starting point.
Beyond education, UNDP plans to support hands-on project development, helping governments turn ideas into deployed systems rather than stalled pilot programs. Internal research has already identified more than 300 potential blockchain use cases across public services.
The organization is currently running pilots in 20 countries, many focused on financial inclusion. These initiatives leverage crypto-based infrastructure to reach people without access to traditional banks.
One partner, Decaf, provides payment rails that allow users to transact using digital wallets instead of bank accounts.
Industry Leaders Join a UN-Led Advisory Push
Momentum is building at the institutional level. During the UN General Assembly in New York, 25 major blockchain organizations discussed forming a UNDP-led advisory group. Participants included the Ethereum Foundation, Stellar Foundation, and Polygon Labs.
Pasicko said the advisory body could be formally launched within two to three months, creating a direct bridge between public-sector needs and private-sector blockchain expertise. For governments that lack in-house technical talent, this structure could significantly lower the barrier to adoption.
The Bigger Shift in Global Finance
Pasicko framed blockchain’s impact through a familiar analogy. Public phone booths once defined communication, then quietly disappeared. He questioned whether ATMs and traditional banking infrastructure could face a similar fate.
In his view, future financial systems will likely combine cryptocurrencies, private stablecoins, and central bank digital currencies, with different jurisdictions choosing different models based on regulation and political priorities. What remains constant is the technology’s ability to remove intermediaries. With just internet access and a smartphone, users can transact globally.
That power, Pasicko warned, cuts both ways. Blockchain can either deepen inequality or dramatically expand access.
Outcomes will depend on how governments deploy the technology and whether they design systems that serve the public rather than entrench existing control.
The UN’s message is clear. Blockchain is no longer a niche experiment. It is becoming public infrastructure, and governments need to understand it before it reshapes their systems without them.
