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

Abstract

Proponents of 'Blockchain for Good'blockchain efforts seeking to enable benefits to humans and the environmenthave 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.

Implications of Blockchain and Transparency for Business Sustainability: An Integrative Review

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“…Finally, at the external and institutional levels, some studies show that stakeholders are usually adverse, if not opposed, to blockchain application. The lack of government regulatory policies (Tomlinson et al, 2020) and the operationalization of blockchain or cryptocurrencies (Chapron, 2017;Saberi et al, 2019;Zhao et al, 2019) aggravate this situation. By highlighting the levels of challenges for the adoption of blockchain in organizations, it is deduced that:…”

“…There is an increasing interest in how to apply blockchain for creating and improving transparency in business organizations (Ko, Lee, & Ryu, 2018;Reyna, Martín, Chen, Soler, & Díaz, 2018;Tomlinson et al, 2020). An organization can expand its governance and revenue through transparency as it improves relationships and integration with stakeholders.…”

“…Much of the literature introduces blockchain as a technology that assists organizations in creating transparency. However, because this is a recent topic, it has not been linked (or only superficially linked) to business sustainability (Tomlinson et al, 2020). Only three papers are more clearly associated with blockchain, transparency, and sustainability, but in different contexts of BS.…”

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