New development: Blockchain—a revolutionary tool for the public sector

ABSTRACT

This article discusses the concept of blockchain and its application to public administration research as a tool to increase trust in the government. The contribution of this article is that it unveils the advantages and disadvantages of blockchain so that both decision-makers (who intend to adopt this innovative technology to increase the transparency of the transactions in the public sector) and users (citizens and public servants) are well informed and prepared.

IMPACT

Transparency in the public sector is a challenge that many governments are trying to deal with. Blockchain is a decentralized technology that reduces corruption by securing transactions between non-trusted entities. This article explains how blockchain works and why public administrations should be adopting it. The advantages and the disadvantages of blockchain are described, along with examples of its use to help decision-makers and public servants understand the value of this game-changing technology and pave the way for its adoption.

KEYWORDS:

• Blockchain
• e-government
• public administration
• transparency
• trust

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).