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:
- Dr Richard Adams (Cranfield University)
- Professor Glenn Parry (University of the West of England)
- Dr Beth Kewell (University of Exeter)
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.
B4G Blog
Thoughts, musings, activities and ruminations.March 21, 2019May 16, 2018Something 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.
Food production
Using Distributed Cryptoledger And Mobile Apps To Create A Circle Of Trust For Small Farmer Co-Operatives
Humanitarian support
A global provider of enterprise level solutions for aid and social welfare programmes delivered through leveraging blockchain technology
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.
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.
Protection of digital assets
Lock in attribution, securely share and trace where your digital work spreads.
Economic identity for all
Creates your global economic identity allowing you to transact with anyone on the planet.
Digital registry
To provide the backbone in the effort to unlock land capital through the democratization of real property ownership utilizing leading edge technology
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.
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.
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.
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.
Financial inclusion
Mobile blockchain-enabled platform that enables anyone, including those without bank accounts, to easily access financial services directly from their phone
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.
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.
Global development finance
A fund management platform that drives the transparent efficient and effective flow and delivery of development and humanitarian aid
Turning Eco-actions into EcoCoins
We plan to exchange recyclable material into virtual currency called Eco Coins.
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
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.
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.
Financial inclusion
Humaniq is a simple and secure mobile app, delivering financial inclusion solutions to the 2.5 billion unbanked / 1 billion underbanked globally.
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.
Useful Links
Links to other resources
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
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
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.
© 2016