At the UN General Assembly in New York last month, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari pleaded with his international peers to help fight corruption, which he said is an extreme threat to stability, peace, and economic security for millions of people in developing nations like his. Much of the corruption in Nigeria is tied to illicit financial flows, Buhari noted.

During the same week, the Columbus, Ohio, suburb of Dublin (population 42,346) was reviewing proposals for its history-making plan to become one of the first US cities to have a blockchain-based identity system for citizens. One discussed use is voting and monitoring of voting.

Viewed together, these examples illustrate the widespread opportunity for blockchain to improve accountability in the public sector at all levels and in many vital functions, whether the organization in need is an emerging nation with complex problems or a small town that wants to be more open, efficient, and innovative.