With economies, societies and even politics becoming more and more determined by the presence of digital technology, the demands on the inclusion of ethical and inclusive digital structure have never been greater. Recognizing that blockchain is developing to go far beyond its crypto-native origins, a significant shining light has been created: the Blockchain for Good Alliance (BGA). Such international coalition is plotting steps towards a more equality and collaborative cross over to the digital outset, the progression of which was evident at the United Nations Internet Governance Forum (UN IGF) 2025 which was recently held in July this year in Kyoto, Japan.
The BGA is making the world a more collaborative place, whether with decentralized identity systems or frameworks of more inclusive governance, we are now seeing a paradigm switch in collaboration between nations, communities, and institutions in the digital age.
What Is the Blockchain for Good Alliance?
Based on the consideration of the ethical and inclusive application of blockchain technology to the global problems, the Blockchain for Good Alliance was created. The BGA is a coalition of civic tech organizations, blockchain developers, humanitarian organizations, and academic institutions that think of blockchain as an infrastructure that is a public good, not as a financial or speculative tool.
Key founding partners include:
- The Humanized Internet
- ID2020
- Swiss Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM)
- ITU (International Telecommunication Union)
- Digital Public Goods Alliance (DPGA)
The Alliance’s mission is clear:
- Promote self-sovereign digital identities
- Drive financial inclusion using open DeFi systems
- Advocate for data privacy, equity, and transparency
- Align blockchain innovation with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Key Highlights from UN IGF 2025
At the UN IGF 2025 in Kyoto—a summit convening leaders in tech governance, civil society, and policy—BGA took center stage in multiple sessions and working groups.
What BGA led and contributed:
- Panel on Decentralized Identity Across Borders: BGA presented an interoperable digital ID framework that respects privacy and works across jurisdictions, particularly tailored for refugees and stateless populations.
- Tech for Public Good Roundtable: BGA stressed the need for open-source infrastructure and public blockchains to be used as global commons, not corporate silos.
- Workshop on Digital Cooperation: BGA members co-authored a policy draft titled “Blockchain as a Tool for Trust-Building in Multilateral Contexts,” which received endorsement from UNDP and the Internet Governance Forum Secretariat.
Participating supporters included:
- Government representatives from Switzerland, Kenya, Brazil, and Ghana
- Technologists from Hyperledger, Ethereum Foundation, and Algorand
- Civil society organizations like Access Now and CIVIC
Their core message: “Digital trust cannot exist without digital inclusion, and blockchain must serve people—not just profit.”
How the Alliance Is Driving Global Impact
The Blockchain for Good Alliance is influencing global cooperation in several transformative ways:
1. Interoperable Digital Identity Systems
The BGA is piloting decentralized ID solutions that give individuals control over their identity data while allowing secure verification by governments, NGOs, and employers. These systems are especially useful in crisis zones and developing nations.
2. Web3 Infrastructure for Social Good
Through collaborations with DeFi developers, the Alliance supports platforms that offer microfinance, community-owned tokens, and transparent aid disbursement tools.
3. Public-Private Partnerships
BGA bridges civic innovation and regulatory frameworks by working with:
- National digital ministries
- Global NGOs
- Blockchain standards bodies
This model helps ensure that blockchain tools comply with legal norms while staying decentralized and open.
4. Knowledge-Sharing and Capacity Building
BGA gives governments and civil society organizations free access to toolkits, policy templates, and education materials, supporting the use of ethical blockchain practices, through its “Commons Code” initiative and Global Digital Cooperation.
Challenges and Opportunities
While momentum is growing, the path to global digital cooperation through blockchain still faces hurdles:
Challenges
- Disjointed laws: Uncoordinated blockchain regulations continue to exist in the countries.
- Shortage of trust: Global south communities still lack the trust in blockchain since they have seen crypto frauds recently.
- Tech literacy gaps: There are technical skills needed to successfully use decentralized systems and many regions are yet to acquire such skills.
Opportunities
- Transparent aid distribution via smart contracts.
- Smart contracts to make the aid transparency possible.
- The democratic means of governing communities and local authorities.
Why This Matters for the Future of Blockchain
The Blockchain for Good Alliance is helping shift the global narrative around blockchain—from speculative assets to civic infrastructure and Global Digital Cooperation.
If successful, BGA’s work could:
- Help shape international blockchain standards
- Realize new digital partnership patterns that are not reliant on the Big Techs
- Introduce blockchain into UN, G20, and World Bank multilateral development discussions Bring blockchain into the UN, G20, and World Bank multilateral development discussions
- It provides, in the process, a model of a digital future based on trust, participation and human rights.
In doing so, it offers a blueprint for a digital future rooted in trust, participation, and human rights.
Conclusion
Blockchain for Good Alliance is not just a policy initiative; it is a movement that will change the way people around the world see the possibilities of blockchain as a tool of serving themselves and the planet. BGA is the epitome of digital cooperation leaders as a partner to UN IGF 2025 and beyond, as it demonstrates the ability of decentralized technology to drive centralized beliefs of equity, inclusion, and shared prosperity.
In going forward into a more tightly interdependent digital world, the work of the BGA is a reminder that technology when it gets built must be done intentionally and that technology when it gets governed must be done intentionally and for good.