Blockchain for anticorruption: Reality or hype? A study of the affordances and constraints of blockchain usage via empirical evidence from Thailand

Abstract

Throughout the 2010s, blockchain was widely embraced for improving data storage efficiency and transparency. However, it later hit a trough of disillusionment, criticized for overhyping its benefits and setting unrealistic expectations. Grounded in qualitative research design and methods, this research explores technology affordances and constraints of blockchain for curbing public sector corruption, especially in countries plagued by systemic corruption, using Thailand as a primary context. The findings indicate that blockchain’s Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) effectively mitigates the principal–agent problem by enhancing both vertical and horizontal transparency. However, the adoption of blockchain is hindered by several constraints, including potential misuse, cost-efficiency, regulatory governance, security and confidentiality, and digital skills and organizational culture. Therefore, introducing blockchain into government operations must not occur in isolation; it requires a holistic integration of sociopolitical and economic factors to ensure that it serves as a viable anticorruption tool.