Analyzing the sustainability of 28 ‘Blockchain for Good’ projects via affordances and constraints

Bill Tomlinson, Jens Boberg, Jocelyn Cranefield, David Johnstone, Markus Luczak-Roesch, Donald J. Patterson and Shreya Kapoor

Information Technology for Development, 2021, vol. 27, issue 3, 439-469

Abstract: Proponents of ‘Blockchain for Good’ – blockchain efforts seeking to enable benefits to humans and the environment – have suggested that the technology can support sustainability. However, while previous research has addressed aspects of the sustainability affordances of Blockchain for Good projects, the constraints that these projects impose have not faced equal consideration. Furthermore, the theoretical concepts of sustainability ‘problems’ and ‘solutions’ implicit in these projects have not been made clear. In this exploratory study, we evaluate the sustainability of 28 Blockchain for Good projects that use cryptocurrencies or tradable tokens with regard to the UN sustainability goals. These projects span a range of goals, such as supply chain tracking, transparent charity, and fairer voting. Despite their admirable goals, we find that current Blockchain for Good projects are unlikely to contribute to a sustainable future due to technical limitations and a conceptual framing that favors the status quo rather than transformative change.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1080/02681102.2020.1828792

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