Enabling Responsible Banking through the Application of Blockchain

Abstract

Behaving responsibly is a priority for all businesses including, of course, the banking sector. The United Nations Principles for Responsible Banking (PRB), launched in 2019, pursue six internal and external objectives. The aim of this paper is to give an overview of the PRB and to investigate how an innovation such as the blockchain could contribute to achieving the UN objectives. Our research uses a qualitative method, based on the Knowledge Café as a data collection tool, enabling us to draw on the experience of ten experts in the banking and/or blockchain domains. Our data analysis identifies a series of nine key concepts that cut across the six PRB. The main findings of our study shed light on the importance of transparency, trust, and the involvement of all stakeholders in the implementation of blockchain solutions within banks. However, there are some barriers to implementation, such as the energy consumption of blockchain, misunderstanding and a need for education on this disruptive technology, and the quality of data. We conclude by presenting the theoretical and managerial implications of our study, including their impact on the funding of SMEs. JEL Codes: G21, M48, N20, O33