The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the Exponential Science Foundation, is launching the Government Blockchain Academy to educate public sector officials on blockchain technology, cryptocurrency tools, and artificial intelligence. Preparatory work, including curriculum design and stakeholder engagement, will begin in 2025, with the first country programs launching in 2026.
The academy aims to bridge the gap between education and real-world implementation across five key development areas: inclusive digital finance, transparent governance, supply chain integrity, climate resilience, and verifiable digital identities. It will provide governments with in-person workshops, online modules, leadership forums, and end-to-end support from identifying local use cases to collaborating with experts.
Irena Cerovic, UNDP Innovation Team Leader, stated: "At UNDP, we are committed to institutional innovation, including creating spaces for governments to explore and test frontier technologies." Paolo Tasca, Executive Chairman of Exponential Science, added: "This is a collective blueprint for public innovation... to ensure governments have the tools and talent to navigate the next wave of digital transformation."
The official launch will occur at TOKEN2049 in Singapore on October 1-2, 2025. This initiative follows a similar 2023 program where UNDP partnered with the Algorand Foundation to train 22,000 employees.