# January 2026
Construction Blockchain Newsletter
Welcome to the CBC Newsletter and the first edition of 2026, opening the year with a clear signal that blockchain is settling into its role as critical digital infrastructure rather than speculative novelty. This issue highlights an emerging convergence between traditional finance and blockchain platforms, as regulated institutions quietly adopt distributed ledger technologies while blockchains adapt to compliance, governance, and enterprise demands.
In Europe, the regulatory environment tightens as UK crypto users are now required to disclose account details to HMRC, marking a decisive shift towards tax enforcement and institutional oversight. Asia showcases industrial-scale innovation, with Fujitsu launching a blockchain-based pilot to trace green steel value flows across complex supply chains, aligning sustainability goals with verifiable data. North America reflects political uncertainty, as tensions between the White House and Coinbase threaten momentum behind crypto market legislation. Africa offers a more constructive trajectory, with Ghana legalising crypto through its VASP bill and signalling ambitions for a transparent and innovation-friendly digital asset ecosystem.
Research features underline blockchain’s growing maturity in construction, spanning governance, ESG reporting, and adaptive smart-contract automation. Upcoming highlights include the Digital Assets Forum in London and Consensus 2026 in Hong Kong.
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Construction Blockchain
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World & Blockchain
Worldwide
The new foundation of global finance: a dialogue between banks and blockchains
A convergence in the financial system is taking shape. It’s quieter than the hype cycles and far more durable: banks are adopting blockchain infrastructure, and blockchains are evolving to the needs of regulated institutions and global enterprises. The result isn’t a replacement for the old system or a wild leap into a new one – it’s a convergence.
Europe
Crypto users forced to share account details with tax officials
People buying cryptocurrency in the UK now need to share their account details or face penalties, in changes that came into effect on 1 January. The move by the UK's tax body is designed to ensure they pay all relevant tax on buying and selling crypto, including capital gains tax. HMRC will begin automatically collecting information on all users of cryptocurrency exchanges - which are effectively the industry's banks - in a bid to start collecting tens of millions in unpaid tax.
Asia
Fujitsu announced that it has commanced a demonstration experiment into the value flow of green steel [1] in the steel industry starting in December 2025. This project was previously selected by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) as part of its FY2025 Industrial Research Project under the theme Survey Project on the Transmission of Green Steel Information Linked to Steel Materials Across Supply Chains in November 2025.
North America
White House threatens to pull support for crypto bill after Coinbase standoff
The White House is considering withdrawing its support for crypto market structure bill following a similar move from crypto exchange Coinbase, according to Fox Business reporter Eleanor Terrett, citing a source close to the Trump administration. In a Sunday post on X, Terrett reported that the White House is furious over Coinbase’s decision to pull its backing for the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, describing the move as a “unilateral” action that blindsided administration officials.
Africa
Ghana Legalizes Crypto While Ghanaian Village Shows Bitcoin’s Potential
Ghana’s parliament made headlines at the end of last year as it passed the Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASP) bill, which establishes a legal framework for regulating bitcoin and crypto assets as well as crypto service providers. According to a press release from the Bank of Ghana, the Bank in conjunction with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will issue regulatory instruments and directives in the coming months as part of their mission to “create a safe, transparent, and innovative virtual asset ecosystem.”
Research & Development Digest
This monthly Research Digest features some notable papers produced or suggested by our academic and industry Members and Partners that we hope will be of interest.
Blockchain & Governance
Blockchain-Integrated Relational Project Governance
Hwang S, Blay K, Osmani M, Wang M, 2025
Traditional contractual project governance often struggles to address the trust and collaboration challenges inherent in construction projects, which are characterized by fragmented teams, adversarial relationships, and rigid control mechanisms. Existing tools tend to prioritize compliance and monitoring rather than fostering long-term relational trust, resulting in delays, cost overruns, and reduced quality. This study addresses these challenges by posing the following research question: How can blockchain technology enhance relational project governance (RPG) to improve trust and collaboration in construction projects? To answer this question, a blockchain-integrated relational project governance (BRPG) model was developed and evaluated using a design science research (DSR) methodology, combining theoretical grounding with iterative design and validation cycles. The model leverages blockchain’s secure, transparent, and immutable features to strengthen the trust-building dimensions of RPG—mutuality, flexibility, and solidarity. Results show that BRPG not only balances contractual and relational mechanisms but also significantly improves interorganizational trust and governance efficiency. This study contributes both theoretically and practically by offering an actionable governance framework for blockchain-enabled construction environments. Future research should focus on testing BRPG in large-scale, real-world projects and exploring its integration with other digital technologies such as artificial intelligence and digital twins to enhance governance intelligence.
https://doi.org/10.1061/JCEMD4.COENG-17208
Purushothaman M B, GhaffarianHoseini A, Ghaffarianhoseini A, Rahimian F, 2025
Existing ESG reporting tools in construction organizations often lack transparency and accountability, presenting significant challenges in effectively managing and reporting ESG data. This research addresses the gap in current reporting practices by proposing and validating a hybrid blockchain solution aimed at enhancing ESG reporting in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry. The primary objective is to develop a blockchain-based solution that automates ESG reporting, addressing issues such as data fragmentation, lack of verification, and inefficiencies. Adopting a design science approach, the study develops a conceptual framework that combines Ethereum and Hyperledger Fabric to create a hybrid blockchain model for the prototype. The comprehensive literature review highlights key challenges in ESG practices and emphasizes the potential of blockchain technology to overcome these barriers. The findings show that the hybrid blockchain model successfully automates the ESG reporting process, ensuring transparency, immutability, and accountability. The prototype, validated through a case study involving two construction organizations, demonstrates the feasibility of combining Ethereum and Hyperledger Fabric to manage ESG data, reducing errors, preventing manipulation, and enabling real-time reporting. This research enriches the theoretical understanding of blockchain applications in ESG practices. It provides practical implications by offering a tangible, blockchain-based solution that ensures transparent, reliable, and accountable ESG reporting in the construction industry, ultimately contributing to more sustainable practices.
https://doi.org/10.36680/j.itcon.2025.061
Ye X, Tao X, Cheng J C P, König M, 2025
Collaboration in Construction Business Process Management (CBPM) often suffers from inefficiency, fragmentation, and security concerns. Blockchain and Smart Contract (SC) offer potential solutions by enabling automation, transparency, and tamper-resistant records. However, adoption remains limited due to two critical gaps: (1) insufficient automation, as current SCs lack cascaded (interdependent) execution, and (2) insufficient adaptability, as existing SCs are non-upgradable, limiting responsiveness to workflow changes. This paper proposes a SC-CBPM framework addressing these gaps through three objectives: (1) Automate CBPM tasks and processes; (2) Develop Cascaded SCs to link interdependent tasks and enforce access control; (3) Develop Upgradable SCs to allow updates without data loss. The framework is validated through two scenarios: BIM-based design collaboration and payment automation, demonstrating feasibility and acceptable computational workability. Performance is evaluated through gas consumption and latency, ensuring deployment readiness. The main contribution is advancing blockchain from a static record-keeping tool to an adaptive workflow automation mechanism.
Events Agenda
DIGITAL ASSETS FORUM
Feb 5-6, 2026, London
The premier event for the Institutional Digital Assets industry
Consensus 2026
10-12 Feb 2026, Hong-Kong.
Since 2015, Consensus has been more than an event–it's the annual gathering of the tribes. It's where the most influential voices in blockchain, web3, and decentralized AI come together to drive innovation forward.
Knowledge Upgrade
Construction Blockchain Conference Recordings
Construction Blockchain Conference recordings are now available, offering an extensive overview of current research and practice at the intersection of AI, digital twins, and the built environment. The sessions explore scalable conversational environmental intelligence, AI-driven robotic design from natural language, participatory design for flood-prone coastal zones, and novel fabrication logics for complex structures. Further contributions address urban digital twins and geospatial modelling, advanced BIM-based comfort prediction, reinforcement learning in architecture, and business model innovation in the AEC sector. The programme also examines cognitive CDEs, edge computing for smart cities, and blockchain-enabled engines for collaborative document auditing and workflow optimisation.
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