Blockchain Fights Corruption with a Trail That Won't Disappear

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) reported in 2026 that public procurement remains one of the most vulnerable areas to corruption, accounting for around 13% of GDP in OECD countries alone.

Corruption and poor management may cause the loss of between 8% and 25% of public investment worldwide. Digital technologies can help identify suspicious deals, but such tools are still used on a limited scale.

In Peru, government agency Perú Compras has recorded orders from electronic catalogs and supplier bids on a blockchain since 2019.

Cryptocurrency can be sent directly to a wallet within minutes, giving corrupt actors a new way to transfer money. The U.S. Department of Justice accused Sam Bankman-Fried and his associates of authorizing a cryptocurrency payment of around $40 million intended for Chinese officials in exchange for the release of Alameda Research crypto accounts worth roughly $1 billion.