Blockchain education is increasingly finding practical use cases in different regions of the world. The use cases of the technology are also expanding to combat crimes. Against this backdrop, stablecoin issuer Tether and the United Nations have partnered to strengthen Africa’s digital economy by reducing cybercrimes through blockchain technology.
The stablecoin issuer partnered with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to reduce crime in certain regions of Africa by leveraging blockchain technology.
According to a 2025 report by Chainalysis, Sub-Saharan Africa is emerging as the third-fastest-growing crypto region in the world. Alongside increasing crypto activity in multiple countries in Africa, crypto crimes are also steadily surging. In turn, Tether and the UN teamed up to curb cyber crimes by using blockchain.
Tether and UN’s blockchain initiative to crack down on crimes
An official blog by Tether reads that the joint venture uses blockchain technology and other emerging technologies, which help them to reduce vulnerabilities to cybercrime, strengthen economic opportunities, and support victims of human trafficking across Africa.
Blockchain is transparent and traceable by design. These features allow blockchain platforms to record data such as transactions. As such, it is easy to track any illicit transactions or money flow and flag wallets linked to illicit activities.
At the moment, Tether and UNODC are focusing on initiatives including the Senegal project, Africa Project, and Papua New Guinea Project. All these projects do not directly use blockchain technology, but provide participants with education on the technology, crypto security, and digital assets.
Tether and the UN are working with certain universities to “raise youth awareness on financial inclusion” and “digital asset fraud prevention.” To note, the Papua New Guinea Project also encourages students to compete in bringing practical ideas that use blockchain technology.”
Leadership views focus on crime prevention and education
For Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether, the collaborative venture supports initiatives that blend “innovation and education” to strengthen communities in African regions and foster safer, “more inclusive opportunities for those who face risks and barriers.”
Meanwhile, Sylvie Bertrand, UNODC Regional Representative for West and Central Africa, opined that the new collaboration enhances youth employability, advances digital inclusion, and bolsters digital skills, including blockchain technology.
Future of blockchain
As years pass by, blockchain is moving into different practical use cases besides crypto payments and real-world tokenization. The technology is also becoming more mature and innovative, particularly in detecting crypto crimes and enhancing transparency in digital finance.
The world moves on, and the global blockchain market is expected to experience an average yearly growth of nearly $393 billion by 2030, according to a report by MarketsandMarkets, a market research firm.
