A blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology that allows a group of users to cooperatively maintain a record of transactions. By virtue of the way blockchain organises the process of recording and validating transactions, this record is both tamper resistant and tamper evident, helping to protect the integrity of information stored by the network. Because of blockchain’s distributed governance mechanism, these systems are also able to minimise or even eliminate the role of central authorities, improving transparency and resilience and minimising the risk of corruption or abuse. Thanks to these properties, blockchain has been proposed as a potential solution to a wide range of problems in the human rights and international development space.

However, questions remain as to the true value of the technology in solving these issues, including whether it may introduce new human rights risks or distract from addressing current risks. To address this question, this report considers the human rights opportunities, risks, and challenges associated with the adoption of blockchain solutions in four prominent use cases—supply chain transparency, voting, digital identity, and land rights management. The report summarises the advantages and risks of blockchain technologies and details the human rights challenges in each area that cannot be solved by blockchain alone. The analysis closes with recommendations for companies to help ensure that the blockchain products and services they develop and deploy will help to strengthen human rights around the world.