Muhammad Usman Malik, Muhammad Junaid, Muhammad Aqeel, Muhammad Wasim · 5 authors
This study investigates how blockchain technology can fundamentally transform public value accounting by addressing persistent challenges of transparency, accountability, and stakeholder engagement inherent in traditional systems. Conventional public accounting frameworks are frequently characterized by structural inefficiencies, deliberate opacity, and perverse incentive structures that collectively undermine public trust and hinder effective governance. The research seeks to establish whether blockchain's distinctive technological attributes can provide viable solutions to these systemic problems while creating new paradigms for public value measurement and distribution. The research employs a rigorous mixed-methods methodology that combines computational modeling of blockchain architectures with empirical stakeholder analysis. Quantitative methods include simulation of tokenized governance models and network analysis of transaction transparency in test environments. Qualitative components incorporate in-depth interviews with public sector stakeholders, focus group discussions with citizens, and case study analysis of early blockchain implementations in municipal accounting. The study specifically evaluates three key blockchain features - immutable distributed ledgers, self-executing smart contracts, and programmable tokenization - as foundational elements for next-generation accountability frameworks. The comprehensive analysis yields several significant findings. First, blockchain implementation demonstrates measurable improvements in financial transparency, reducing audit times by an average of 40% in pilot programs. Second, smart contract automation eliminates discretionary interpretation of public spending rules, decreasing compliance violations by 62%. Third, tokenized participation mechanisms correlate with a 35% increase in stakeholder engagement metrics. Most importantly, the research identifies specific design principles for blockchain systems that successfully mitigate value distortion in public accounting while creating alignment between institutional actions and community expectations. This research makes multiple novel contributions to both academic literature and practical governance reform. The study develops the first comprehensive framework for applying blockchain's decentralized architecture to public value accounting, complete with empirically validated design specifications. It introduces the innovative concept of "dynamic tokenization" for real-time value tracking in public goods provision. The work also bridges important theoretical gaps between distributed ledger technologies and public administration theory, offering concrete pathways for implementing more equitable, transparent, and participatory governance models. These findings have significant implications for governments seeking technological solutions to persistent accountability challenges in an increasingly digital public sphere.
Much of the enthusiasm surrounding blockchain adoption in public governance is speculative, often overlooking real-world implementations as well as conflating sectors with distinct institutional and technical challenges. To ground the discussion, this chapter focuses on one specific application: blockchain-based voting (BBV), long regarded as a promising use case for the technology. We explore why, despite a substantial body of literature, BBV has seen very limited adoption in both public and private elections. The chapter then turns to voting practices within Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) and the broader crypto industry, which may offer insights into possible future trajectories for BBV. We conclude by reflecting on the wider implications of blockchain technologies for the transformation of public governance.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) emphasize inclusive, equitable, and environmentally sustainable growth, requiring effective localization for meaningful outcomes. Local governments, particularly in developing countries, play a crucial role in translating global goals into actionable strategies at the grassroots level. In India, Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), empowered by the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments, serve as key agents in implementing SDGs through decentralized planning, resource allocation, and community participation. This research article examines the role of local governments in achieving SDGs in India, with a special focus on Karnataka. Using a narrative review methodology based on PRISMA-ScR guidelines, the study synthesizes findings from 28 empirical studies, government reports, and policy documents published between 2015 and 2026. Evidence suggests that local governance interventions have improved service delivery outcomes by 30–50 percent in sectors such as water management, sanitation, renewable energy, and rural livelihoods. Initiatives such as Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs), e-Gram Swaraj, and Finance Commission grants have strengthened participatory planning and accountability. However, challenges such as limited fiscal autonomy, capacity deficits among elected representatives, and coordination gaps persist. The study concludes that strengthening local governance through capacity building, financial empowerment, and technological integration is essential for achieving SDGs. Karnataka's innovative practices demonstrate the potential of decentralized governance in driving sustainable development.
Barbara Bigliardi, Virginia Dolci, Alberto Petroni, Benedetta Pini
How are digital technologies transforming public sector supply chains, and what factors condition their effectiveness? Despite the growing interest in this domain, the literature remains fragmented, with a lack of longitudinal studies, citizen-centered evaluations, and cross-country comparisons. This study addresses these gaps through a systematic review of 71 Scopus-indexed articles, combining descriptive mapping with a keyword-based bibliometric analysis. The approach identifies consolidated and emerging themes, particularly within the “Business, Management and Accounting” subject area, where methodological heterogeneity and limited generalizability persist. Findings reveal increasing scholarly attention to technologies such as blockchain, AI, and e-procurement, highlighting both operational modernization and newer concerns such as sustainability, digital governance, and decentralized finance. The paper contributes by structuring dispersed knowledge into a coherent framework, offering a roadmap for research and practical guidance for public administrators seeking value-driven digital transformation.
Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) aim to foster decentralization but often exhibit "shadow-centralization" (i.e., a small group essentially exercises their governance power in voting, despite the wide distribution of voting rights). While prior literature has noted the potential for centralization in DAOs, it has not adequately distinguished between the centralization of governance power (i.e., tokens) holding and the centralization of power exercise through voting, nor has it examined the transition from the former to the latter. Furthermore, the literature has underexplored the consequences of this power transition for governance outcomes and the related contingent factors. Our study fills this gap by explicitly examining how centralization shifts from holding to voting and how this transition impacts the performance of DAO-governed decentralized applications (DApps). We also examine how these effects are contingent on the capability of voters and the nature of the governance issues. Focusing on both on-chain and off-chain DAOs, we find that an increase in centralization from holding to voting negatively affects DApp performance, confirming that concerns about "shadow-centralization" are warranted. We also find that this negative impact is mitigated when voters possess greater experience and connectivity than the broader group of token holders. Also, the adverse effect is more salient for proposals requiring higher deliberation and is less salient for novel proposals. Our study advances the understanding of DAO governance by highlighting the source of shadow centralization and reveals that it implications depend on who votes and what they vote on.
Abstract This article critically examines how Web3 decentralization policy trends impact global digital governance, questioning whether they genuinely distribute power or merely shift influence to a new, tech-savvy elite. Based on fieldwork in Silicon Valley since August 2022 and engagement with scholars and practitioners up to December 2025, the article provides a conceptual analysis with emerging empirical insights around the nascent global Web3 movement. While Web3 advocates challenge centralized data monopolies and traditional state structures, this analysis critiques the assumption that Web3 democratizes power, highlighting both its potential for inclusion and risks of exclusion, insofar as it may reinforce hierarchies rooted in technical expertise and digital access. While acknowledging the broader landscape of Web3 governance (including hybrid and federated models) and scoping the Global North and Global South contexts considering global adoption cases, the article particularly focuses on three post-Westphalian paradigms: (i) Network States, (ii) Network Sovereignties, and (iii) Algorithmic Nations. While Network States advocate for crypto-libertarian governance, Network Sovereignties and Algorithmic Nations emphasize cooperative governance aimed at empowering minority communities, such as indigenous groups, stateless nations, and e-diasporas, through decentralized, data-driven systems. By engaging with both the limitations and some promises, prospects, and pitfalls of Web3, this article questions whether Web3 can create a more inclusive global order or if influence is increasingly concentrated among a new elite. This article contributes to debates on sovereignty, governance, and citizenship by advocating hybrid policy frameworks that balance global and local dynamics, emphasizing solidarity, digital justice, and international cooperation for equitable Web3 governance.
This article explores the process of building a digital state and the role of public administration digitalization in that context. The relevance of the study lies in the need to enhance governance efficiency through the integration of information technologies. The research aims to provide a comparative analysis of the theoretical foundations of digital governance, international best practices, and their practical applicability. The methodology combines systems analysis with comparative research tools. Findings reveal that digital instruments significantly improve transparency, operational efficiency, and citizen engagement. The scientific novelty of the study is the proposed structural model of interaction between digital governance mechanisms and public institutions. The article also offers practical recommendations for designing and implementing digital strategies in Armenia’s public administration system. The results are applicable to state policy formulation, strategic IT planning, and higher education curricula in the field of public governance and digital transformation.
This paper explores how Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) could inform and shape participatory procedures in democratic governance. We apply DAO decision-making, such as rule-based input aggregation, transparent participation, and programmable decision-making, to a real-world case: the legislative development of the Swiss E-ID law, a proposal to establish a digital identity system for secure online authentication for Swiss residents. Using data from the official legislative consultation, we simulate how DAO-inspired mechanisms could have altered the aggregation of input and policy outcomes. Our analysis contributes conceptually and empirically to debates on digital democratic innovations, showing how programmable governance can be used not only to design new institutional forms, but also to critically assess the procedural dynamics of existing ones.
Syifa Maulida Akmalia, Kodrat Mahatma, Gusti Muhamad Sardana
In today's digital economy, the web has transcended its original role as a communication medium to become a foundational infrastructure for digital transformation. This chapter examines the strategic role of web technologies in enabling scalable, agile, and interoperable systems that support innovation across sectors. It integrates conceptual insights with real-world case studies in government, retail, education, and healthcare to illustrate how the web empowers organizations to enhance customer experience, streamline operations, and enable rapid prototyping. The discussion covers core web technologies—cloud platforms, APIs, frontend frameworks, and backend architectures—and future trends including Web3 and Web 5.0. It also addresses challenges such as legacy integration, cybersecurity, and digital inequality, offering frameworks such as digital maturity models and agile-DevOps approaches for mitigation. By aligning web capabilities with organizational strategy, institutions can create resilient, user-centered ecosystems essential for long-term competitiveness in a connected world.
Abstract This essay argues that social media document (rather than fuel) the decline of political democracy while helping revive organizational democracy, including through ‘decentralized autonomous organizations’ (DAOs). Yet, despite giving everyone a voice and the ability to organize across borders, social media could over‐concentrate power if, in the future, a few large but siloed platforms ended up shrinking viewpoint diversity – the oxygen of democracy. How can we curb corporate platform concentration without dulling democracy? Due to trade‐offs in platform design, no single service can deliver free speech, free usage, and safe usage simultaneously. Fortunately, this ‘trilemma’ can be transcended at the industry level with an interoperability mandate that fosters user multihoming and lets various platforms provide different bundles of democratic benefits. Email works across service providers, and so can social media. Interoperability thus represents a viable answer based on six advantages: practical feasibility; competition on merit; faster complementor innovation; jurisdictional flexibility; unlocking network effects between, rather than just within platforms; and alignment with democratic values. Platform interoperability can make social media social again and future‐proof democracy. This proposal is a clarion call for blaming the Internet a little less for democracy’s problems and instead leveraging its infrastructure strategically to address them.
Juan Sebastián Paiba Aya, Yuli Andrea Camacho Quintana
La contratación estatal en Colombia ha estado históricamente atravesada por problemáticas como la corrupción, los sobrecostos, la opacidad en los procesos y la lentitud administrativa, factores que han debilitado la confianza ciudadana en las instituciones y han limitado la eficacia en la ejecución de los recursos públicos. Frente a ello, la tecnología blockchain y los smart contracts se presentan como una alternativa innovadora al ofrecer trazabilidad, inmutabilidad y automatización en la ejecución de los contratos públicos, asegurando que las cláusulas pactadas se cumplan bajo condiciones previamente programadas y verificables.
Decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) have emerged as significant governance models, prioritizing transparency and community participation. However, there remains a knowledge gap regarding the impact of online discussions on the decision-making processes within these organizations. This study aims to fill this gap by investigating the relationships between engagement metrics and proposal approval rates. We find a strong coherence between the most discussed topics in each DAO’s forums and their stated missions. Our analysis also reveals a nuanced but noticeable correlation between community engagement and voting outcomes. Furthermore, our paper explores the complexities of community coordination and collective governance within DAOs, highlighting existing challenges and providing design recommendations.
Tengku Mohd Diansyah, Nuraminah Ramli, Muzammil Jusoh
This study addresses the limitations of existing decentralized e-voting systems, particularly their reliance on public distributed infrastructures, limited real-world deployment feasibility, and lack of comprehensive evaluation. Previous studies have demonstrated the potential of distributed ledger-based voting mechanisms; however, most focus on conceptual designs or small-scale prototypes without detailed performance and usability validation. To address this gap, this research proposes and implements a decentralized e-voting system deployed on a local server infrastructure using distributed ledger technology and automated validation mechanisms for vote integrity. The system is designed to reduce dependency on external networks while maintaining transparency, immutability, and operational efficiency. The system was evaluated through functional testing, performance analysis, and user acceptance testing involving 30 participants in a controlled environment with 20 simulated voters. The results show that the system achieved a functional accuracy of 96% across 25 test scenarios. The average transaction response time ranged between 0.6 and 1.6 seconds, indicating efficient processing under moderate load conditions. However, the evaluation is limited to small-scale simulations and does not include stress testing, large-scale scalability analysis, or advanced security validation. Therefore, the findings demonstrate system feasibility rather than fully validated effectiveness. These results suggest that decentralized e-voting systems deployed on local infrastructures can provide a practical and efficient solution for controlled election environments, while further research is required to evaluate scalability, security robustness, and real-world deployment readiness.
Hsi‐Peng Lu, Ya-Yuan Ku, Kuo‐Lun Hsiao, Wadee Alhalabi
With the rise of blockchain and decentralized technologies, doubts about traditional financial institutions' efficiency have increased. Meanwhile, Web3 offers transparency, security, and autonomy. However, the existing literature overlooks role the role of doubt as a push factor while focusing on the positive effects of trust. Moreover, the role of crypto wallets as a mooring factor remains underexplored. This study applies push-pull-mooring theory to examine Web3 literacy, trust in machines, doubt in institutions, and switching costs. Data were collected from 165 survey respondents. The results indicate that Web3 literacy increases doubt in traditional institutions but does not significantly affect trust in Web3. Additionally, switching costs moderate the relationship between Web3 literacy and doubt. When switching costs are low, doubt rises significantly. This study provides a new perspective on Web3 adoption, showing doubt's push effect and the role of push-pull mooring in migration, thus addressing gaps in the literature. Furthermore, the findings highlight how decentralized finance's trust mechanism is evolving, offering insights for Web3 adoption.
Deepak Gupta, K. R. Shobha, D. Hariprasad, Rakhi Chawla · 7 authors
Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) represents a transformative paradigm for emerging economies, providing foundational systems for identity verification, payment processing, and data exchange. The convergence of DPI with Web3 technologies and decentralized infrastructure creates unprecedented opportunities for inclusive economic development. This chapter examines how blockchain, distributed ledger technologies, and decentralized protocols enhance traditional DPI frameworks, analyzing implementations across emerging markets with emphasis on India's pioneering India Stack model. Through examination of 220 million active blockchain addresses globally and DPI implementations reaching 1.3 billion citizens, this research demonstrates that Web3-enabled DPI can overcome institutional voids, reduce transaction costs by up to 70%, and facilitate financial inclusion for 730 million unbanked adults. The chapter analyzes technical architectures, governance models, security frameworks, and socioeconomic impacts while addressing challenges including digital divides, regulatory gaps, and sustainability concerns. Key findings reveal that DPI integrated with Web3 infrastructure contributed 0.9% to GDP in 2022, projected to reach 4.2% by 2030, with the global blockchain market valued at $31.18 billion in 2025 and forecasted to reach $393.42 billion by 2032.
The manuscript should contain an abstract. The abstract should be self-contained and citation-free and should not exceed 300 words. The abstract should state the purpose, approach, results, and conclusions of the paper. The author should assume that the reader has some knowledge of the subject but has not read the paper. Thus, the abstract should be intelligible and complete in itself (no numerical references); it should not cite figures, tables, or sections of the paper. The abstract should be written using the third person instead of first per-son. This study examines the potential of Web3 technologies to enhance accounting transparency in government budgets through a survey of academics and professionals in Erbil, Kurdistan Region of Iraq. A structured questionnaire with 25 statements across five dimensions was administered to 55 respondents (74.55% academics in accounting/finance, 20% professionals from the Board of Supreme Audit) using a five-point Likert scale, with data analyzed via SPSS V.27. The empirical results extensively validate Web3's application in enhancing governmental financial transparency. Although the theoretical framework emphasized blockchain immutability as the foundation, statistical evidence revealed stronger endorsement for smart contracts (mean = 4.167) and real-time access (mean = 4.06) compared to blockchain immutability (mean = 4.047). All hypotheses were validated at a p < 0.000 significance level. Decentralized recordkeeping (mean = 4.12) and interoperability (mean = 4.116) also received strong support, highlighting the need for internal control and cross-government reconciliation. The stronger support for smart contracts and real-time access reflects stakeholders' prioritization of practical, user-facing applications over underlying infrastructure. These tools offer immediate automation of budget controls, measurable cost savings, and direct citizen engage-ment—addressing urgent transparency challenges in the Kurdistan Region context more directly than blockchain's foundational security features. From an accounting perspective, Web3 supports fundamental financial reporting principles: blockchain immutability aligns with reliability of accounting records; smart contracts function as programmed spending controls enhancing compliance and restricting unauthorized ex-penditures; real-time access corresponds to timeliness and disclosure principles, enabling continuous monitoring by citizens and oversight agencies; while decentralization and interoperability strengthen internal control and promote consistency across governmental financial sys-tems. While blockchain provides essential recordkeeping infrastructure for transparent records, stakeholder priorities emphasize automation, accessibility, and integration. These findings suggest governmental accounting reforms should prioritize smart contracts and real-time reporting systems as primary drivers of financial transparency, with blockchain serving as the supporting foundation. The study recommends incremental adoption, development of real-time dashboards, integration with existing infrastructure, and establishment of supportive institutional frameworks.
As public services become increasingly digitized, governments worldwide are exploring innovative technologies to enhance operational efficiency, transparency, and citizen engagement. Blockchain technology, particularly through smart contracts, digital identity systems, and decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), presents unprecedented opportunities for creating more transparent, accountable, and participatory governance systems. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of blockchain applications in digital governance, examining real-world implementations, regulatory challenges, and legal frameworks. We propose an adaptive four-layer framework that enables governments to systematically integrate blockchain technologies while addressing privacy, security, and compliance requirements. Through case studies from Estonia, India, Dubai, and emerging DAO implementations, this research demonstrates both the transformative potential and practical challenges of blockchain-based governance systems.
The paper assesses the success of the Decentralized Exchanges (DEXs) through the DeLone and McLean Information Systems Success Model. To evaluate the performance of DEXs, six dimensions, system quality, information quality, service quality, use, user satisfaction, and net benefits are used. A comparative analysis with the existing exchange models indicates that adoption is primarily due to transparency and user satisfaction and scalability is a challenge. The originality of the work is the adaptation of the Information System (IS) Success Model to the decentralized finance (DeFi) setting and the suggestion of both theoretical and practical implications of the sustainability and expansion of the DEXs. Findings indicate that transparency and security drive user satisfaction and adoption. Key stakeholders include users, developers and regulators.
Effective ICT governance is essential in the public sector to drive digital transformation and improve service delivery. This research investigates the corporate governance of ICT Policy Framework (CGICTPF) and Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) and State Information Technology Agency (SITA) Act governs the operational activities and strategic directions of Government Information Technology Officers (GITOs) in Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Free State provincial administrations in South Africa. Using a comparative case study, the research draws on policy analysis and interviews to reveal governance obstacles in procurement and executive ICT engagement. KwaZulu-Natal shows progress due to strong leadership, while Eastern Cape and Free State face delays from compliance-driven cultures and bureaucracy. The study urges a balance between regulation and agility, recommending GITO empowerment through decentralized procurement and leadership development. It advances ICT governance theory by exposing multi-level implementation challenges.
Abstract The President of India, in her address to Parliament in June 2009, stressed on achieving the goals of equity or inclusion, innovation and accountability in public policies and the governance process. She said that the Government is committed to creating an innovation strategy for government, industry, entrepreneurs, technologists and academicians with a focus on inclusive growth and appropriate eco-system necessary to bring about generational change in our approach to development. The Thirteenth Finance Commission emphasized the need for adopting innovative methods and focus on capacity building, decentralization and public accountability in public systems. A number of citizen centric administrative innovations are introduced by the government at center and state level. The paper elaborates on various initiatives taken by the Government of India in using innovative methods and use of technology in the process of governance to make it citizen centric and facilitating good governance.
The traditional public–private partnerships (PPP) contract is paper based, which makes contract documentation in PPP intensive, insecure, and prone to errors and unauthorized manipulations. These problems are in addition to many intermediates and associated negative impacts on productivity improvement and contractual compliance issues. Blockchain-enabled smart contracts (BSC) have unique features that suitably mitigate these issues when PPP projects are delivered. However, PPP stakeholders are confronted with certain barriers that impede the adoption of these technologies. Although interest in adopting blockchain-smart contracts in PPP is growing in the literature, a quantitative survey of global experts on the potential limiting factors to BSC adoption in the context of PPP is lacking. This study adopted a hybrid model of technology, organization, and environment (TOE) framework and institutional theory to critically examine the potential barriers to BSC adoption and implementation in infrastructure PPP projects. The structured questionnaire was used to gather data from 123 experts across countries, and descriptive analysis and partial least-square-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) were used for data analysis. The descriptive analysis emphasized the significant limiting impact of the barriers to smart contract adoption in PPP. The PLS-SEM revealed that the six constructs of the hybrid model have a statistically significant limiting impact on the stakeholders’ decision to adopt and implement BSC in infrastructure PPP projects. This study provides a framework of barriers to guide industry stakeholders and policymakers in their quest to digitalize PPP contracts.