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Blockchain-based application at a governmental level: disruption or illusion? The case of Estonia
[A systematic analysis of applications of blockchain in healthcare]

Author

Listed:
  • Silvia Semenzin
  • David Rozas
  • Samer Hassan

Abstract

Blockchain technology enables new kinds of decentralized systems. Thus, it has often been advocated as a “disruptive” technology that could have the potentiality of reshaping political, economic, and social relations, “solving” problems like corruption, power centralization, and distrust toward political institutions. Blockchain has been gradually gaining attention beyond finance and is thus applied by a range of different actors. This includes local, regional, and national governments interested in the potentiality of experimenting with blockchain-supported governance. This article contributes to identifying blockchain as a contested socio-political object prone to contradictory political imaginaries regarding its potentialities, particularly when applied to policy. The article explores some of the most praised of blockchain’s affordances (e.g., decentralization and transparency) in the context of Estonia, one of the most cited examples of blockchain governmental applications. Estonia has received international attention as the alleged first national infrastructure integrating blockchain. However, so far, few have asked: what kind of blockchain-based tools have been built by the Estonian government in practice and why? And to what extent do blockchain-based governmental applications reflect the original promises of disruption of the crypto-community? This article draws on a qualitative approach to explore several blockchain-based socio-technical objects to identify the narratives that have emerged in Estonia. The research shows clear contrasting views between stakeholders and technical experts from inside and outside the institutional sphere. The conflict revolves around two different social imaginaries associated with permissioned vs. public blockchains. The paper concludes with an analysis of the profound political implications of each vision.

Suggested Citation

  • Silvia Semenzin & David Rozas & Samer Hassan, 2022. "Blockchain-based application at a governmental level: disruption or illusion? The case of Estonia [A systematic analysis of applications of blockchain in healthcare]," Policy and Society, Darryl S. Jarvis and M. Ramesh, vol. 41(3), pages 386-401.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:polsoc:v:41:y:2022:i:3:p:386-401.
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Judith Clifton & Leslie A Pal, 2022. "The policy dilemmas of blockchain [Blockchain technology and decentralized governance: Is the state still necessary?]," Policy and Society, Darryl S. Jarvis and M. Ramesh, vol. 41(3), pages 321-327.
    2. Szabolcs Szentmihalyi, 2023. "Digitalisation and Convergence - The Example of Estonia," Financial and Economic Review, Magyar Nemzeti Bank (Central Bank of Hungary), vol. 22(1), pages 143-158.
    3. Ankit Dhiraj & Sanjeev Kumar & Divya Rani & Simon Grima & Kiran Sood, 2023. "Blockchain Payment Services in the Hospitality Sector: The Mediating Role of Data Security on Utilisation Efficiency of the Customer," Data, MDPI, vol. 8(8), pages 1-14, July.

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