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Innovation is changing the nature of economic participation and making it more inclusive, especially with the development of blockchain technology. Blockchain technology introduces a secure, permissionless digital infrastructure that operates without barriers. This evolution of digital assets offers a powerful mechanism to address one of the most critical development goals, which is achieving universal financial inclusion. For the large populations who currently lack access to basic services, such as savings, credit, or low-cost remittances, blockchain provides access to finances and economic stability.
According to the World Bank’s Global Findex Report, an estimated 1.3 billion adults worldwide remain “unbanked,” meaning they lack an account at a formal financial institution or through a mobile money provider. This exclusion disproportionately affects women (who represent a majority, at 55%, of the unbanked population), the rural poor, and populations in developing nations, perpetuating cycles of poverty and limiting economic opportunity.
Traditional financial systems, with their high operational costs, extensive regulatory hurdles, and the need for physical infrastructure (bank branches), often struggle to serve these hard-to-reach populations profitably.
In this ecosystem, blockchain offers a solution by lowering the barriers to entry for financial services. It operates as a secure, transparent, and immutable digital ledger, removing the need for a central intermediary like a bank. For the unorganised sector, the lack of official identification is a primary obstacle when opening a bank account, registering for a mobile money service, or accessing essential government assistance. Blockchain-based solutions are creating Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) platforms to help with this.
These systems allow individuals to control and own their digital identity, which can be verified and used to access financial services without relying on government-issued documents that may not exist. The identity is stored securely on the blockchain, only shared with the individual’s permission, and provides an auditable trail of transactions and credentials.
In addition, an easily installable digital wallet on a user’s mobile phone can become the individual’s de facto bank account. It requires minimal or no paperwork and can be accessed globally. This accessibility is demonstrated by the rapid uptake of digital assets in markets where trust in traditional institutions is low. Countries like Nigeria and Vietnam consistently report some of the highest rates of crypto adoption worldwide, in percentage terms, according to various industry reports.
Furthermore, global partnerships like the ID2020 Alliance are working to provide secure, portable digital identities for the approximately 1.1 billion people globally who lack any form of officially recognised identity, using blockchain-based principles for ethical and user-centric identity management.
For many developing economies, remittances (money sent home by workers abroad) are a critical source of income, often exceeding both foreign aid and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). However, traditional methods are notoriously expensive. Global average costs for sending $200 were found to be 6.4% 2023, according to the World Bank. In regions like Sub-Saharan Africa, this cost was even higher, reaching approximately 7.9%. This means billions are lost to fees annually, money that could otherwise be used for education, healthcare, and infrastructure.
Blockchain-based payment networks, utilising cryptocurrencies commonly called stablecoins, drastically reduce these costs by cutting out intermediary banks and their associated fees. Transactions are settled rapidly, often in minutes rather than the days required by the traditional SWIFT network.
For instance, stablecoins pegged to the US dollar, such as USDC or Tether, provide a low-volatility medium for value transfer. Transferring these assets between wallets or through decentralised exchanges involves network fees that can be a fraction of a percent, significantly undercutting the bank’s average of over 6%. This saving is huge for families relying on small, regular transfers to meet basic needs.
Blockchain’s impact extends beyond simple payments to more complex financial services. Decentralised Finance (DeFi) platforms offer lending, borrowing, and saving services directly to users via automated smart contracts. This opens up avenues for microcredit and small business loans to individuals without collateral or credit histories recognised by conventional banks.
Smart contracts execute loan agreements automatically once pre-defined conditions are met, eliminating manual underwriting and administrative costs. To this end, emerging platforms are building a credit score for the ‘credit invisible’. This can be achieved by recording alternative data points, such as timely mobile phone top-ups, utility bill payments, or successful completion of decentralised small loans, immutably on a blockchain.
This system creates a verifiable, trustworthy financial history without requiring a central credit bureau, granting millions of people access to capital for entrepreneurial activities. In a DeFi context, users in developed economies lend their capital, and users in developing economies borrow, creating a truly global and transparent financial marketplace.
One of the most powerful features of blockchain is the ability to enable tokenisation of real-world assets. This process converts rights to an asset (like a piece of real estate, a solar panel, or equipment) into digital tokens on a blockchain. This mechanism enables fractional ownership, making high-value, previously illiquid assets divisible and accessible to small-scale investors.
Through tokenisation, an individual in a rural or developing market can buy an entire tractor, or a share in a large solar array. The token gives them a proportional claim on the asset’s yield or revenue. This model allows individuals to move from being mere consumers to actual investors and owners, creating a wealth-building opportunity previously reserved for the affluent. It turns unproductive or underutilised assets into productive, accessible digital investments.
Despite its potential, blockchain technology has its share of challenges. These include regulatory uncertainty as governments worldwide are still grappling with how to effectively regulate digital assets. This means inconsistent rules can stifle both innovation and adoption. Furthermore, the volatility of many cryptocurrencies remains a risk. Although, this is being mitigated by the increasing use of fiat-backed stablecoins for day-to-day transactions. Finally, the gaps in internet connectivity and digital literacy are causing its slower adoption, especially in remote areas where the need for financial inclusion is often greatest.
To overcome these hurdles, more needs to be done to create educational resources, build user-friendly interfaces, and establish international frameworks by the regulators. The idea is to provide a secure, low-cost parallel system that serves those whom the incumbent system has failed, without replacing the traditional finance system. As such, blockchain offers a realistic and powerful pathway to bring the world’s 1.3 billion unbanked into the financial economy, creating a more equitable global future.