UNICEF’s blockchain work
From financial transfers and data sharing to vaccine supply chains and impact tracking, blockchain technology offers transparency and efficiency
UNICEF’s innovation financing platform, the UNICEF Venture Fund, is at the forefront of applying and deploying blockchain technology for humanitarian action and social good.
Blockchains – or decentralized ledgers – comprise a suite of open-source technologies characterized by open code, open data and publicly accessible, immutable records.
Blockchain’s characteristics make it a natural fit for the humanitarian and development sectors, and an increasingly important public technology: it drives effectiveness and efficiency through smart contracts; builds in in transparency and accountability for optimized funding flows; and is a powerful tool for impact proofs, supply chain traceability, multi-stakeholder coordination, governance, new business models and online trust and security.
Established in 2019, the UNICEF CryptoFund, remains the only financing vehicle in the United Nations system operating with cryptocurrencies. We hold and deploy crypto and stablecoins on public ledgers, build blockchain prototypes and invest in open-source startups, advancing the integration of blockchain technology and digital assets into diverse workflows.
As of 2026, the CryptoFund has:
held or deployed BTC, ETH and USDC
disbursed more than US$4 million in over 60 transactions
invested in up to 30 startups
- spent less than 0.1 per cent on transfer fees
- completed most transactions in under 10 minutes
- developed the Juniper toolkit to manage and use digital assets
UNICEF Venture Fund deploys equity-free funding and technical mentoring to back under-represented founders in emerging markets, strengthening local innovation ecosystems to deliver measurable social impact and accelerate progress for children. Venture Fund-backed solutions are piloted and scaled with UNICEF country offices.
Uniquely within the United Nations, UNICEF has an in-house prototyping team that builds and partners with crypto-natives in the web3 ecosystem, including founding partner Ethereum Foundation and GSR Foundation.
UNICEF's blockchain work is more than single-use deployments or fundraising in digital assets, it spans cash transfers, stablecoins, multi-stakeholder data sharing, supply chain tracking, on-chain accountability, fund distribution and more.