• broken image

    Blockchain for Good

    What are the “good” applications of the Blockchain?

    What is unique about blockchain technology that means it can address global challenges?

    What sort of problems are best resolved by a blockchain solution?

    What are the facilitators of and barriers to uptake and scale?

  • About B4G

    The website of the Blockchain for Good (B4G) project, partly supported by a BA/Leverhulme Small Research Grant (SRG 2016) and Society for the Advancement of Management Studies, involving:

     

    Blockchain

    From the internet of knowledge to the internet of value.

     

    Kranzberg’s first law of technology (1986) states that ‘Technology is neither good nor bad; nor is it neutral’

    for Good

    This research study is framed as ‘Blockchain for Good’. On the face of it, that’s not a difficult idea to comprehend, at least for each of us individually as we all have a sense of what ‘Good’ means and whether or not a particular piece of technology serves our understanding of ‘Good’. Our initial thinking about the study was catalysed by two different, but not competing, perspectives on good. The first, the emergent literature on (particularly organizational) sustainability that has at its heart John Elkington’s conceptualisation of the triple bottom line and, the second, the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

  • Something to Read

    Some blockchain and 'for good' reading

    B4G publications

    Adams, R., Kewell, B. & Parry, G. (2018). Blockchain for Good? Digital Ledger Technology and Sustainable Development Goals. In: Leal Filho, W., Marans, R. & Callewaert, J. (eds.) Handbook of Sustainability and Social Science Research. World Sustainability Series. Springer, Cham.

    Adams, R., Parry, G., Godsiff, P. & Ward, P. (2017). Editorial: The Future of Money and Further Applications of the Blockchain. Strategic Change: Briefings in Entrepreneurial Finance, 26, 417-422.

    Adams, R., Kewell, E. & Parry, G. (2017). Blockchain for Good? Digital Ledger Technology and Sustainable Development Goals, Sustainability and Social Science Research Symposium. University of Michigan, United States, May 17th-19th 2017.

    Godsiff, P.J., Smart, P.A., Adams, R.J. & Alves, K.V. (2018). Using distributed ledger technology to authenticate food supply chains. 12th International European Forum (Igls-Forum) (163rd EAAE Seminar) on System Dynamics and Innovation in Food Networks. Innsbruck-Igls, Austria http://www.fooddynamics.org/.

    Kewell, E. (2017). Blockchains and Wicked Problems: Mapping the Future Directions of Humanism in the Digital Age.

    Kewell, E., Adams, R. & Parry, G., (2017). Blockchain for Good? Strategic Change: Briefings in Entrepreneurial Finance. Strategic Change: Briefings in Entrepreneurial Finance, 26 429-437.

    Kewell, E., Mulligan, C., Godsiff, P.& Maull, R. (2017). Programmable money, digital gold and the future of blockchain: Categorizing the affordances and expectations of a promising technology, Competitive Advantage in the Digital Economy Forum 2017. Palazzo Pesaro Papafava, Venice, Italy.

    Kewell, E., Adams, R. & Parry, G., (2018). Overseeing the “Trust Machine” in International Development: A Responsible Innovation Agenda. Oxchain 2018, A one-day conference on Blockchain and the Global South hosted by OxChain.

    Kharlamov, A. and Parry, G. (2018) Advanced Supply Chains: Visibility, Blockchain and Human Behaviour. In: Moreira, A., Ferreira, L. and Zimmerman, R., eds. (2018) Innovation and Supply Chain Management - relationship, collaboration and strategies. Springer International Publishing AG 2018. pp. 321-343 Available from: http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/33952

    McConaghy, M., McMullen, G., Parry, G., McConaghy, T., and Holtzman, D. (2017) “Visibility and Digital Art: Blockchain as an Ownership Layer on the Internet”, Strategic Change: Briefings in Entrepreneurial Finance; SI on Blockchain Applications, 26(5), 461-470

    Sustainable development

    Adams, R.J., Jeanrenaud, S., Bessant, J., Denyer, D. & Overy, P. (2016). Sustainability-oriented innovation: a systematic review. International Journal of Management Reviews, 18, 180–205.

    Bradley, P., Parry, G. & O'Regan, N. Application of ethical concerns for the natural environment into business design: a novel business model framework. University of the West of England, Bristol, UK.

    Green, E., Ritchie, F., Parry, G. and Bradley, P. (2016) Financial resilience in charities. Project Report. University of the West of England, Bristol, UK. Available from: http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/29713

    Ostrom, E. (1990). Governing the commons: The evolution of institutions for collective action, Cambridge University Press.

    Distributed Ledgers

    Dierksmeier, C. & Seele, P. (2016). Cryptocurrencies and Business Ethics. Journal of Business Ethics, 1-14.

    Nakamoto, S. (2008). Bitcoin: A peer-to-peer electronic cash system. Consulted, 1, 28.

    Taddeo, M. & Vaccaro, A. (2011). Analyzing Peer-to-Peer Technology Using Information Ethics. Information Society, 27, 105-112.

    The Economist (2015). The promise of the blockchain: the trust machine. October 31st, 2015.

    Walport, M. (2016). Distributed Ledger Technology: beyond block chain. A report by the UK Government Chief Scientific Adviser. Government Office for Science.

    Miscellaneous

    Kranzberg, M. (1986). Technology and History: "Kranzberg's Laws". Technology and Culture, 27, 544-560.

  • Blockchains for Good

    Here's our growing list of Blockchains for Good.

    It's a work in progress and based on initiatives' claims.

    We will add to the list as we discover more.

    If you know of any we've not included, get in touch and tell us what it is and why it's good.

    If you disagree with any of the inclusions in the list, tell us why.

    broken image

    Food production

    Using Distributed Cryptoledger And Mobile Apps To Create A Circle Of Trust For Small Farmer Co-Operatives

    broken image

    Humanitarian support

    A global provider of enterprise level solutions for aid and social welfare programmes delivered through leveraging blockchain technology

    broken image

    Transparent, results-based philanthropy

    All donations are held in smart contracts on a secure blockchain, to give donors maximum transparency on the impact their money makes. Alice.si's goal is to restore the public's trust in charities, so more donations can be raised to fund their social missions.

    broken image

    Digital identity protocol to build trust

    Project Amply strives to revolutionize early childhood development in Africa. Combining mobile and blockchain technology to increase impact and accountability of public services and generate real-time data.

    broken image

    Protection of digital assets

    Lock in attribution, securely share and trace where your digital work spreads.

    broken image

    Economic identity for all

    Creates your global economic identity allowing you to transact with anyone on the planet.

    broken image

    Digital registry

    To provide the backbone in the effort to unlock land capital through the democratization of real property ownership utilizing leading edge technology

    broken image

    To hasten farming processes, develop farming enterprises and promote higher yields

    Blockchain based accelerator for women farmers in Africa. The accelerator targets Zimbabwean women farmers and is raising funds to equip them with farming inputs and equipment.

    broken image

    Converting human movement to currency

    Your steps convert into digital currency; a step is worth the same value for everyone - no matter who you are, or where you are.

    broken image

    Providing Basic Identity and Economic Independence

    Aims to rapidly prototype an integrated business, legal and technical approach to provide valid, usable identity and access to enduring economic independence for those who need it most.

    broken image
    A green way to pay

     

    Designed not just to generate wealth for everyone who uses it, but also to fund the planting of millions of trees worldwide to address the problem of soaring emissions.

    broken image

    Financial inclusion

    Mobile blockchain-enabled platform that enables anyone, including those without bank accounts, to easily access financial services directly from their phone

    broken image

    Companies for the 21st Century

    Colony harnesses the wisdom of the crowd to make sure that the right things get done by the right people, at the right time.

    broken image

    Protein folding

    CureCoin allows owners of both ASIC and GPU/CPU hardware to earn. CureCoin puts ASICs to work at what they are good at--securing a blockchain, while it puts GPUs and CPUs to work with work items that can only be done on them--protein folding.

    broken image

    Global development finance

    A fund management platform that drives the transparent efficient and effective flow and delivery of development and humanitarian aid

    broken image

    Turning Eco-actions into EcoCoins

     

    We plan to exchange recyclable material into virtual currency called Eco Coins.

    broken image

    Posting live solar data to the blockchain for scientists, researchers and human progress

    Helps scientists, investors and prosumers in order to deliver cheap and clean solar energy for all future generations worldwide

    broken image

    A financial inclusion blockchain remittance company

    Everex is a financial inclusion blockchain development company seeking to improve access to financial services and markets for the 2.5 billion un- and under-banked population across the world.

    broken image

    Digital ledger that tracks and protects valuable assets

    Uses the best of emerging technology including blockchain, smart contracts and machine vision to assist in the reduction of risk and fraud for banks, insurers and open marketplaces.

    broken image

    Financial inclusion

    Humaniq is a simple and secure mobile app, delivering financial inclusion solutions to the 2.5 billion unbanked / 1 billion underbanked globally.

    broken image

    Secure digital food wallets for the homeless

    Hypergive is a system that allows communities to crowdfund secure digital food wallets for homeless and hungry people, tackling the dual problems of donor cynicism and a cashless society.

    broken image

    Renewable energy

    A global rewards program for solar electricity generation.

  • Useful Links

    Links to other resources

    broken image

    UN Sustainable Development Goals

    On September 25th 2015, countries adopted a set of goals to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all as part of a new sustainable development agenda. Each goal has specific targets to be achieved over the next 15 years

    broken image

    Blockchain Alliance for Good

    A free membership group promoting the use of Internet-of-Value and Blockchain technology for good social and environmental outcomes.

    broken image

    ID2020

    Accelerating technology to ensure that every person on the planet can access a unique digital identity as part of their basic human rights (UN SDG 16.9)

     

    29 June, 2017 Accenture, Microsoft Create Blockchain Solution to Support ID2020

    broken image

    Proof of impact transaction platform

    Integrates tangible financial and intangible non-financial interventions by ensuring financial benefit is contingent on the social impact

    broken image

    The promise of the blockchain: The trust machine.

    "Bitcoin has a bad reputation...this is unfair"

  • Get in touch

    Tell us about those B4Gs not yet on our list,

    Tell us why you think other blockchain initiatives qualify as 'Good',

    Or just comment on the existing list.