DUBAI, UAE — Oct. 19, 2026 — The Blockchain for Good Alliance (BGA), the global non-profit initiative founded by the cryptocurrency exchange Bybit and dedicated to leveraging blockchain for societal impact, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have signed an agreement to launch a two-year programme to strengthen cybersecurity knowledge and capacity for the responsible use of digital technologies in development.

The agreement was signed by Edward Vrkić, UNDP's Resident Representative to Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam, and Helen Liu, Founder of BGA, at the Cybersecurity, Trust and Digital Safety Launch Summit in Singapore, hosted at the UNDP Global Centre for Technology, Innovation and Sustainable Development.

The signing was followed by a panel discussion on securing digital trust. Vrkić and Liu were joined by Robert Pašičko, Lead of the UNDP Alternative Finance Lab (AltFinLab), and Mykolas Majauskas, Global Head of Policy at Bybit, in a session moderated by Glenn Tan, Director of Global Affairs at BGA. The discussion examined how cybersecurity has become a development concern, how Singapore's regulatory approach compares with other regions, and how frontline operators and public institutions can share what they learn through public-private partnerships.

"The governments we support are facing growing and increasingly complex cybersecurity challenges, driven by ongoing, AI-enabled fraud, and more sophisticated cyberattacks," said Robert Pašičko, UNDP AltFinLab Team Lead. "Strengthening cybersecurity capacities and building resilient, trusted digital systems are essential to addressing these risks. We welcome the opportunity to deepen our collaboration with the BGA, drawing on its expertise and experience."

A Critical Time for Collaboration

As public institutions rely more on digital systems, including blockchain technology, to manage identity, payments, aid delivery and public records, cybersecurity is essential to keeping services running, protecting public funds and maintaining trust. The rapid advance of artificial intelligence (AI) is widening the challenge on both sides: attacks are becoming faster and more sophisticated, while the systems being defended grow more complex. Securing these systems requires technical expertise, strong governance and the capacity to respond to incidents and risks. The partnership is intended to help strengthen and build these capabilities to protect essential services, public funds and the people who depend on them.

"It is fitting that this begins in Singapore, with a small group, and with the people who will actually deliver it," said Helen Liu, Founder of the BGA. "The industry BGA comes from has learned about cybersecurity and digital safety the hard way. This partnership puts what it learned to work for the public good."

Programme Structure and Focus

The programme will be implemented by UNDP's AltFinLab in collaboration with BGA. Over the two-year period, it will draw on cybersecurity expertise from across BGA's ecosystem to support learning through the SDG Blockchain Accelerator, which helps develop solutions powered by emerging technologies to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the Government Blockchain Academy, a capacity-building programme for public officials. Dedicated sessions will also be held for interested UNDP Country Offices and relevant government counterparts.

Through learning and advisory support, the programme will address data protection, secure digital payments and the security of public digital services.

"Prevention, response and recovery are three pillars of cybersecurity, and public institutions need all three," said Glenn Tan, Director of Global Affairs at the BGA. "The private sector holds much of the expertise across these areas, yet public institutions and international organisations with pressing needs often lack direct channels to access it and collaborate. This partnership opens that door."

Because delivery runs through channels that already exist — the accelerator, the academy and UNDP Country Offices — the earliest visible signs of the partnership in action will surface in those venues over the two-year window.

Building on an Existing Relationship

The partnership builds on BGA's role as Strategic Partner of the UNDP SDG Blockchain Accelerator, now entering its third cohort, and its membership in the Blockchain Advisory Group (BAG), an advisory forum convened by UNDP that brings together leaders from across the blockchain ecosystem to explore how blockchain technologies can contribute to sustainable development and strengthen digital public systems. In effect, the agreement converts that standing participation into a time-bound programme with a dedicated implementing arm and defined technical focus areas.

About Blockchain for Good Alliance (BGA)

The Blockchain for Good Alliance (BGA) is a global nonprofit initiative founded by Bybit, dedicated to advancing blockchain as a tool to address real-world problems. By convening leaders, innovators and organisations from across the blockchain industry, BGA seeks to drive innovation, collaboration and action toward a more sustainable and equitable world.

More information is available on the BGA website, via X or LinkedIn, or by contacting hello@chainforgood.org.

About the United Nations Development Programme

UNDP is the leading United Nations organisation fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality and climate change. Working with a broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, UNDP helps nations build integrated, lasting solutions for people and the planet.

The UNDP Alternative Finance Lab is a global initiative that connects finance, innovation and emerging technologies to explore, test and scale new approaches for sustainable development. Updates are available on X and LinkedIn.

This article first appeared on Chainwire.