UNDP’s New Blockchain Academy: Because Governments Need to Keep Up with Crypto Too

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Well, folks, it looks like the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has decided that it’s high time governments start learning about the wonders of crypto. Next year, they’re launching a shiny new “Government Blockchain Academy” to bring the public sector into the future of digital currencies, blockchain, and all that jazz.

On Monday, the agency casually announced its partnership with the Exponential Science Foundation (sounds fancy, right?) to create an academy dedicated to teaching governments how to deal with crypto tech. Because, you know, governments clearly need a little help in that department.

According to the UNDP, the academy will offer all sorts of specialized education and programs. We’re talking blockchain, artificial intelligence, and a sprinkle of other emerging technologies. The aim? To “help governments drive transformative change.” Sure, just a small task, no big deal.

But, wait-there’s more! The agency, tasked with solving world poverty through long-term economic growth (no pressure), has noticed that developing countries like India, Pakistan, and Vietnam have been hopping on the crypto bandwagon this year. So, it seems like the UNDP wants to ensure that even governments in the developing world can ride the crypto wave. 🌊

What’s the Academy Actually Going to Teach? A Lot. Probably Too Much.

The UNDP promises that the academy will teach governments how to use blockchain tech to solve “pressing development challenges.” Irena Cerovic, who leads the UNDP team for Europe and Central Asia, says the goal is to help countries move from “experimentation” to “implementation,” all while strengthening transparency, inclusion, and resilience. Because, obviously, that’s exactly what governments need. 🙄

Some of the academy’s focus areas include teaching governments how to create “trusted, verifiable digital credentials” to improve access to services, and making sure people can easily access financial services and digital payments. Because, who doesn’t want their financial info on the blockchain, right? 🤷‍♂️

But wait, there’s more! The academy will also educate on using blockchain for tracking and accounting in public procurement. In other words, governments can keep those pesky corruption issues at bay with “tamper-resistant recordkeeping.” Of course, that’s been working wonders for a while now, hasn’t it? 😏 And don’t forget about climate finance! Blockchain will be used to track carbon credits. Because, you know, we’ve totally figured that out.

The Academy Will Be “Live” in 2026. So, Not Immediately.

The UNDP hasn’t given an exact date, but they’ve assured us that the academy will start rolling out in select countries by 2026. The curriculum? Well, it’s still in the “design phase,” which basically means it’s still being cooked up. They’ve also promised that the academy will offer education through in-person, online, and forum formats. Sounds like a whole lot of support for governments who might not have a clue what blockchain even is. 🙄

Last Year’s Blockchain Academy…Because One Just Wasn’t Enough

And let’s not forget that last year, the UNDP launched another “blockchain academy” to train its 22,000 staff on how to use blockchain to help countries grow sustainably. They partnered with the Algorand Foundation in late 2023, because clearly, we need more blockchain experts in the world, right? Right. 👏

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2025-09-16 09:24