The UNDP has launched a Blockchain Advisory Group with 26 members, including Ethereum, Cardano, and Kraken, to drive global development goals.
The United Nations Development Programme has officially launched a Blockchain Advisory Group. The group, announced on June 3, 2026, in Paris during Proof of Talk 2026, brings together 26 blockchain organizations.
Its focus spans financial inclusion, digital identity, climate finance, and public service delivery. The launch marks a step toward integrating blockchain into global development frameworks.
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UNDP Blockchain Advisory Group Targets Financial Inclusion First
The inaugural meeting centered on financial inclusion as its first deep-dive theme.
Discussions covered fragmented payment systems, digital identity barriers, and interoperability challenges. Participants also examined how blockchain can complement existing infrastructure. The goal is to expand access, improve efficiency, and strengthen transparency in underserved regions.
Haoliang Xu, UNDP Associate Administrator, chairs the group. He noted that blockchain technologies are evolving rapidly. According to Xu, the key question is how these innovations can contribute to stronger public systems and better development outcomes for people and the planet.
UNDP is positioning itself as a connector between development actors and the blockchain ecosystem.
The group plans to meet twice annually. Each session will take on a different development theme.
Upcoming focus areas include public trust, digital governance, inclusive society, legal identity, sustainability, climate accountability, digital labour, and the future of work. The structure aims to move conversations from dialogue to concrete action.
BREAKING: The United Nations Development Programme launches a Blockchain Advisory Group.
Members include Algorand, Arbitrum, Avalanche, Cardano, Celo, Ethereum, Filecoin, Stellar, Sui, Web3 Foundation, Kraken, Cointelegraph, and other leading blockchain organizations. pic.twitter.com/a9jE7WKBNq
— MSB Intel (@MSBIntel) June 8, 2026
26 Blockchain Organizations Join the Advisory Group
The Blockchain Advisory Group brings together a wide cross-section of the ecosystem. Members include the Algorand Foundation, Arbitrum Foundation, Avalanche Foundation, and Cardano Foundation.
Ethereum Foundation, Filecoin Foundation, Stellar Development Foundation, and Sui Foundation also feature on the list. Other members include Kraken, Cointelegraph, Celo Foundation, and the Web3 Foundation.
Additional organizations rounding out the group include Interchain Foundation, Dfinity Foundation, Dubai Blockchain Centre, and Nordic Blockchain Association. FLock.io, Giveth, Funding the Commons, and InfStones are also part of the inaugural lineup.
The Blockchain Center Abu Dhabi, Partisia Blockchain Foundation, Exponential Science Foundation, and NEARWeek complete the 26-member roster.
The diversity of the group reflects a broad effort to cover multiple blockchain ecosystems. Both infrastructure providers and advocacy groups are represented. Including media organizations like Cointelegraph also signals an intent to keep public communication central to the initiative.
UNDP Builds on Existing Blockchain Work Across Developing Regions
This launch builds on UNDP’s broader work on blockchain for sustainable development.
The organization has already been active across Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East, Europe, Central Asia, and the Asia-Pacific. Ongoing projects there span digital payments, climate finance, traceability, public procurement, and service delivery.
Alongside the advisory group launch, UNDP’s AltFinLab organized a broader event series called Scaling Blockchain for Public Good. It included the SDG Blockchain Accelerator Impact Showcase, which highlighted blockchain and decentralized AI solutions already advancing in development contexts.
A public dialogue held with Sciences Po Tech and Global Affairs Innovation Hub also brought governments and researchers into the conversation.
UNDP documented its blockchain activities in a recent publication titled New Tech, New Partners: Transforming Development in the Digital Era.
The report outlines where the organization sees the strongest potential for blockchain to support public systems. The Blockchain Advisory Group is expected to build directly on the findings and partnerships described there.
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