Public sector use cases
Explore how Ethereum can support public services while strengthening transparency, interoperability, and sovereignty for countries, institutions, and individuals.
Digital identity & credentials
Give people verifiable credentials they can control and reuse across services without depending on a single centralized identity database.
Public records & registries
Issue property titles, licenses, and diplomas that anyone can check are genuine. A university can issue a digital diploma that an employer verifies without seeing the graduate's other personal data.
Aid, grants & public funds
Distribute funds digitally while making flows easier to verify and audit, without publishing sensitive beneficiary information.
Public finance & settlement
Issue bonds, move digital money, or coordinate settlement using shared infrastructure while retaining existing legal and regulatory frameworks.
Where Ethereum fits
Ethereum can complement existing government databases or services. It is most useful where multiple parties need to coordinate without giving one participant exclusive control of the shared record.
| Need | Ethereum can help by |
|---|---|
| Multiple institutions must coordinate | Providing a shared record and common rules |
| Citizens need portable credentials | Supporting credentials that can be verified across compatible services without relying on a single provider |
| Public spending needs transparency | Creating verifiable transaction and audit records |
| Systems must work across borders | Using globally accessible open standards |
| Sensitive information must remain private | Keeping data offchain while publishing proofs or references |
| One vendor should not control infrastructure | Providing an open network with multiple independent operators |
Ethereum in the public sector
Governments and international organizations are already using Ethereum-based infrastructure for identity, records, finance, and humanitarian programs.
Bhutan: National digital identity
Bhutan has anchored its National Digital Identity system on Ethereum, enabling citizens to control verifiable credentials without relying exclusively on a central identity database.
ITCILO: Verifiable training credentials
The International Training Centre of the ILO issues digital certificates and badges that can be independently verified using Ethereum. Learners share them with employers and institutions without a crypto wallet or any knowledge of Ethereum. More than 208,000 had been issued by October 2025.
UNICEF: Transparent grant funding
UNICEF's CryptoFund uses Ethereum and Ethereum-based assets to receive, hold, and distribute funds while improving auditability and keeping beneficiary data offchain.
Giga: School connectivity funded by staking
Giga, a joint initiative of UNICEF and ITU, worked with the Government of Rwanda to test whether Ethereum staking rewards could provide a recurring source of financing for school connectivity. The rewards paid about $5,600 in school internet fees.
Keep exploring
See how other organizations are putting Ethereum to work.
