The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will convene Scaling Blockchain for Public Good, a two-day high-level event bringing together blockchain ecosystem leaders, governments, development organizations, and academic institutions to explore the practical pathways through which blockchain technologies can strengthen public systems and support sustainable development. The programme is organized by UNDP’s Alternative Finance Lab (AltFinLab), a flagship initiative focused on exploring and scaling innovative financing and technology solutions for sustainable development.
The programme will take place across two days in Paris. On 3 June, UNDP will participate in Proof of Talk 2026 at the Louvre Palace (Musée des Arts Décoratifs) – one of Europe’s leading blockchain gatherings – to advance the conversation on blockchain for development with ecosystem leaders. On 4 June, the programme will continue at Sciences Po, co-organized with the Sciences Po Tech & Global Affairs Innovation Hub, with a focus on government engagement and responsible blockchain adoption in public systems.
Blockchain technologies are increasingly demonstrating their potential to foster cooperation in low-trust environments, strengthen digital public infrastructure, and expand access to financial and non-financial services for those furthest behind. Yet developing and scaling these solutions where they are most needed remains a challenge. Closing that gap requires new partnership models that connect technical innovation, development experience, and public sector engagement to deliver development outcomes at scale.
3 June | Proof of Talk, Louvre Palace
UNDP will host two sessions at Proof of Talk – one of Europe’s leading gatherings in the blockchain and digital asset space, with approximately 2,500 senior decision-makers from across the ecosystem.
UNDP will formally launch the Blockchain Advisory Group (BAG) – a senior-level advisory mechanism convening leading blockchain organizations to inform how blockchain technologies can support sustainable development and public-purpose digital transformation. The BAG formalizes UNDP’s engagement with the blockchain ecosystem into a structured, ongoing advisory relationship, designed to explore what partnering differently for development at scale can look like in practice. The inaugural, closed session will focus on financial inclusion and digital finance – where the need is most urgent. Despite significant progress, 1.3 billion adults worldwide remain without access to formal financial services, and close to one billion lack the digital identity needed to access them.
The second is the SDG Blockchain Accelerator Impact Showcase – an open session part of the Proof of Talk programme. The SDG Blockchain Accelerator is UNDP’s global initiative to scale blockchain and AI solutions in support of the Sustainable Development Goals. Selected solution teams will present on-the-ground work across financial inclusion, digital identity, climate resilience, and public service delivery, in a demonstration and networking session. The session will also preview the upcoming launch of Cohort 3 of the Accelerator – an opportunity for solution makers, technical partners, and ecosystem actors to explore collaboration with UNDP on scaling blockchain solutions for development.
Registration for the Impact Showcase will open shortly – stay tuned!
4 June | Sciences Po, Paris
Co-organized by UNDP AltFinLab and the Sciences Po Tech & Global Affairs Innovation Hub, in partnership with Exponential Science Foundations and Stellar Development Foundation, the half-day programme at Sciences Po brings together academics, policymakers, senior government representatives, and practitioners for a focused dialogue on responsible blockchain adoption in public systems.
The programme addresses two interconnected themes: first, how governments are building the institutional capacity, regulatory frameworks, and implementation pathways needed to adopt blockchain-based solutions within public systems – including an introduction to the Government Blockchain Academy, UNDP AltFinLab’s new capacity-building initiative for public-sector blockchain adoption; and second, how blockchain-enabled financial tools are being used to reach people excluded from conventional financial systems, drawing on active deployments in humanitarian and development settings.
The full programme and registration are available here.
About the programme
Across both days, Scaling Blockchain for Public Good is intended to support practical exchange and advance the conversation on where blockchain can deliver public value – what conditions are needed for responsible and inclusive implementation, and how development actors, governments, and the blockchain ecosystem can work together in support of public purpose digital transformation at scale.
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