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Blockchains are peer-to-peer networks that record and track transactions in distributed ledgers. Cryptocurrencies were the first application of the technology. Since then, blockchains have been heralded as a novel institutional technology that can rival firms and governments in terms of certain coordination and production functions. Given initial applications in the public sector, the study of blockchains for public administration presents considerable opportunity to interested scholars for development and clarification. This special issue on "Blockchains in Public Administration" is a response to this gap. This thematic introduction to the special issue reviews the initial views of blockchains as an alternative to government. We then describe several areas where governments have begun to use blockchains. Our review of these applications emphasize opportunities for public administration scholars and practitioners to add to the ongoing conversation on the impact of blockchain on society.

Blockchains have been hailed as a game-changing institutional technology. Most of the analysis of blockchains focuses on their uses in the Global North. Though there is increasing consideration of their uses in the Global South, few studies consider the uses of blockchains in fragile states. In this paper, we consider the potential for blockchain deployments by governments, international organizations, and citizens in fragile states. We find that government deployments are unlikely in fragile states, though blockchains can be useful through their increasing use by aid organizations and by providing people with opportunities, such as access to cryptocurrencies. Blockchains may be revolutionary, but the extent to which they have improved the lives of people in fragile states is questionable.