Blockchain in Global Land Registries

This book explores the theory-practice gap in applying blockchain to land registries by examining four case studies (Sweden, Georgia, Ghana, and India) where blockchain-based land registry initiatives have been implemented or piloted. Through comparative analysis, it identifies recurring legal, institutional, and infrastructural barriers that have hindered progress, as well as enabling conditions that have supported partial success. Designed for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners in land governance, legal reform, and digital transformation, this study contributes to the growing literature on blockchain in public administration. It moves beyond theoretical promises to assess how and under what conditions blockchain can meaningfully support land administration reform in diverse global contexts.

Land registries are foundational institutions, intended to ensure legal certainty, facilitate property transactions, and reduce disputes. Yet in many jurisdictions, they remain plagued by inefficiency, opacity, and limited public trust. While blockchain technology has been widely proposed as a remedy - offering transparency, immutability, and decentralization - empirical evidence on its actual impact remains scarce.