Rumsan Associates Private Limited successfully completed and closed the project - “Research on Mainstreaming Blockchain” to study the use cases of blockchain-based solutions from both local and global perspectives and explore policy roadmap for blockchain in Nepal. This report details the activities, achievements, and findings of research done on diverse fields pertaining to blockchain in Nepal. The research that commenced during August 5th, 2019 to October 31ts 2019 and conceptualized and funded by World Vision International Nepal’s Innovation Lab (NLab), supported by eSatya, Rumsan and Paluwa Pleaders. The use of blockchain technology to address humanitarian and development challenges has been one of the World Vision International Nepal’s Innovation Lab (NLab) primary foci since the last couple of years and to further scope out the rationale behind the application of blockchain in the development and humanitarian sector, NLab is now seeking an appropriate partner to study the use cases of blockchain-based solutions from both local and global perspective and feed that into mapping a policy roadmap for blockchain in Nepal. The researcher will be expected to work closely with the NLab team, as well as other relevant stakeholders to identify the needs and issues of relevant actors. The focus of the research will be to figure out the effectiveness of existing solutions and where policy lags behind in the path of adoption of such technologies. Following objectives were identified - 

1. Identify potential applications of blockchain in Nepal in private as well as public sectors;

2. Investigate current blockchain applications in use or being developed in Nepal and their value addition along with opportunities and challenges;

3. Identify application and effectiveness of blockchain technology in humanitarian and development sector;

4. Share good blockchain practices from around the globe, highlighting some key use cases;

5. Recommend policies and processes to effectively harness the most out of Blockchain technology;

6. Develop a good blockchain adoption practice guide to explore the potential and limitations of using blockchain;

7. Explore areas on how blockchain can be aligned with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

During the past three months, five research papers were released and to further support the research two meetups were held during the lifespan of the project to fulfill the objectives.After the initial survey and consultative meeting, the following key deliverables were agreed and accomplished

• Published following research papers

Overview of blockchain in Nepal - Introductory paper to help the audience understand what blockchain technology. This paper sets the premise for the current scenario of blockchain in global and local perspective and its trend. 

Agile Project Management in Blockchain - This paper explored problems we are currently facing with management in blockchain projects are lack of smart contract upgradability, iterating, unfamiliar technology stack, lack of role definition for developers and lack of proper standards.

Perspective and analysis of blockchain - This research surveyed 70 students and 28 executives on various aspects of blockchain. The document reflected the insights into the overall attitudes and investments in blockchain as a technology from various stakeholders and decision makers in Nepal.

Policy, process and guideline - Rumsan Associates Private Limited partnered with Paluwa Pleaders to identify the current scenario of blockchain and cryptocurrency in Nepalese and global context.

Blockchain for development - The paper explored how blockchain technology can help achieve SDG. The document summarized secondary findings from different governmental and non-governmental agencies on how blockchain can support development and create impact.

• Conducted Meetups

1. Meetup - We conducted a meetup on Transformative Technology - AI + Blockchain to identify the perspective of blockchain across various industries on August 27, 2019. The details of the event can be found here.

2. Blockchain Symposium - On Friday 22nd November, Nepal’s very first Blockchain Symposium was held in 8 Degrees in Jhamsikhel which consisted of 5 speakers and 47 participants to showcase the research. The details of the event can be found here.

The research predominantly adopted qualitative methods through secondary desk review, and primary field data collection through Key Informant Interviews and where possible Focus Group/ Panel Discussions. Most of the research information was gathered through articles, websites, newspaper and journal review. We conducted a small convenience sample survey and meetups for perspective analysis. The details of each paper are given below. 

• Overview of Blockchain in Nepal

Outcomes: A report on the activities happening in Nepal in the field of Blockchain.

Activities:

1. Conducted research on companies practicing blockchain and have a thorough look at their projects.
2. Organizations/Projects such as Sikka, Chino, Agri Clear, Laxmi Bank and more explored.
3. Compiled news articles and studies conducted on Blockchain in Nepal.
4. Created a report compiling all of these.

• Agile and Blockchain

Outcomes: Research on Agile software development and management in blockchain activities:

1. Identified problems developers currently facing with management in blockchain projects are lack of smart contract upgradability, iterating, unfamiliar technology stack, lack of role definition for developers and lack of proper standards.

2. Identified best practices current software development process in blockchain.

3. Explored Indorse and AgriClear and how blockchain was implemented hand in hand with agile. 

• Perspective Analysis on Blockchain

Outcomes: A report consisting of perspective of people from different fields (private, public, development or business, academics) on Blockchain and it’s possibilitiesActivities:

1. Created a structured questionnaire for each party to be surveyed. The parties would be either from private, political and development sectors, or they would be from business and academia.
2. Conducted targeted surveys (online or in-person) to those parties with the questionnaire prepared.
3. Analyzed the data (survey responses) and then create a report highlighting their perspectives, and what this could mean for Blockchain in Nepal.

• Policy and Process Guidelines

Outcomes: A research paper suggesting how Blockchain could flourish in Nepal despite the limitations from the government, or how we could overcome these limitations altogether by going through the proper channels.Activities:

1. Partnered with Paluwa Pleaders to conduct research on Bitcoin and blockchain technology. 
2. Identified various cases related to Bitcoin in Nepal. 

• Development and Blockchain

Outcomes: A report on how this could be taken further while aligning with the SDGs.

Activities:

1. Performed secondary research on how Sustainable Development Goals could be integrated with this technology and how Blockchain can help attain them.
2. Gathered insights from experts Jiwan Limbu, and Aradhana Gurung on the blockchain.
3. Created an insightful report in the end, urging people to get involved in this and start working towards taking Blockchain and SDGs simultaneously.

This was the first of kind research on blockchain conducted in Nepal. The research compiled the technology has promise beyond cryptocurrencies and urges various industries to explore the technology through five research papers and two meetups.