BGA and UNDP sign a two-year programme on digital safety…

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 19 October 2026. The Blockchain for Good Alliance (BGA), a global non-profit founded by Bybit to put blockchain to work on social problems, and the United Nations Development Programme have signed an agreement for a two-year programme to strengthen cybersecurity knowledge and the capacity to use digital technologies responsibly in development. Edward Vrkić, UNDP’s resident representative to Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam, and Helen Liu, founder of BGA, signed at the Cybersecurity, Trust and Digital Safety Launch Summit in Singapore, at the UNDP Global Centre for Technology, Innovation and Sustainable Development.

The signing was followed by a panel on securing digital trust. Edward Vrkić and Helen Liu were joined by Robert Pasicko, lead of the UNDP Alternative Finance Lab (AltFinLab), and Mykolas Majauskas, global head of policy at Bybit, with Glenn Tan, director of global affairs at BGA, moderating. The discussion looked at 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 conflicts, 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.”

Collaboration at a difficult moment

As public institutions rely more on digital systems, including blockchain, to manage identity, payments, aid delivery and public records, cybersecurity is what keeps services running, protects public funds and holds trust. The rapid advance of artificial intelligence is widening that gap on both sides: attacks are becoming faster and more sophisticated, while the systems being defended grow more complex. Securing them takes technical expertise, strong governance and the capacity to respond to incidents and risks. The partnership is intended to build those capabilities, so essential services, public money and the people who depend on them are better protected.

“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.”

UNDP’s AltFinLab will implement the programme, in collaboration with BGA. Over two years it will draw on cybersecurity expertise from 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, and the Government Blockchain Academy, a capacity-building programme for public officials, alongside dedicated sessions 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 the 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 organizations with pressing needs often lack direct channels to access it and collaborate. This partnership opens that door.”

The partnership builds on BGA’s role as Strategic Partner of the UNDP SDG Blockchain Accelerator, now entering its third cohort, and on its membership of the Blockchain Advisory Group (BAG), an advisory forum convened by the 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. FinanceFeeds reported in April 2025 that the accelerator, launched with EMURGO Labs, was set up to produce 40 blockchain solutions for the Sustainable Development Goals, with the work run across five regions alongside AltFinLab.

In the photograph, from the left, are Helen Liu, founder of the Blockchain for Good Alliance, and Edward Vrkić, UNDP resident representative to Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam.

About the Blockchain for Good Alliance (BGA)

The Blockchain for Good Alliance (BGA) is a global non-profit initiative founded by Bybit, dedicated to advancing blockchain as a tool for 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.

For more information, email hello@chainforgood.org, visit www.chainforgood.org, or follow the alliance on X and LinkedIn.

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, it 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.

For more information, follow AltFinLab on X and LinkedIn.

Frequently Asked Questions

What have BGA and UNDP agreed?

They have signed a two-year programme to strengthen cybersecurity knowledge and the capacity to use digital technologies responsibly in development. UNDP’s Alternative Finance Lab will carry it out with the Blockchain for Good Alliance. Learning runs through the SDG Blockchain Accelerator, the Government Blockchain Academy and dedicated sessions for interested UNDP Country Offices and relevant government counterparts. The subjects are data protection, secure digital payments and the security of public digital services.

Who signed the agreement, and where?

Edward Vrkić, UNDP’s resident representative to Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam, and Helen Liu, founder of BGA, signed on 19 October 2026 at the Cybersecurity, Trust and Digital Safety Launch Summit in Singapore. The summit was held at the UNDP Global Centre for Technology, Innovation and Sustainable Development. A panel on securing digital trust followed, with Robert Pasicko of AltFinLab, Mykolas Majauskas of Bybit and Glenn Tan of BGA as moderator.

What earlier work does the partnership rest on?

It builds on BGA’s role as Strategic Partner of the UNDP SDG Blockchain Accelerator, which is now entering its third cohort, and on BGA’s membership of the Blockchain Advisory Group. That forum is convened by the UNDP and brings leaders from across the blockchain ecosystem together to explore sustainable development and stronger digital public systems. The new agreement adds a two-year strand of cybersecurity learning and advice for public institutions.