# September 2025
Construction Blockchain Newsletter
Welcome to our September CBC Newsletter! McKinsey forecast that stablecoins and tokenised cash could reach $250bn in daily transactions within three years, reshaping asset management. Openbank launched crypto trading in Germany, with Spain to follow. The U.S. Treasury sanctioned Iranian networks using crypto to evade sanctions, while Trump’s $WLFI token added billions to his fortune. South Africa’s High Court ruled crypto exempt from exchange controls. Research highlights include blockchain against greenwashing, net-zero pathways in construction, and IoT–blockchain for pollution monitoring. Upcoming: CBC 2025 and Consensus 2026.
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World & Blockchain
Worldwide
The payments and asset management are undergoing a fundamental reset. A report from McKinsey published last this summer finds that stablecoins and tokenized cash are emerging as serious challengers to incumbent infrastructure, with transaction volumes forecast to reach as much as $250 billion per day within three years. That inflection point is forcing banks, asset managers, and technology pro
Europe
Openbank launches cryptocurrency trading service
Customers in Germany will be able to buy, sell and hold Bitcoin, Ether, Litecoin, Polygon and Cardano alongside their other investments. The cryptocurrency offering is now available to all Openbank customers in Germany and will be rolled out in Spain in the coming weeks.
Asia
Treasury Dept. targets Iran ‘shadow banking’ network using cryptocurrency to evade sanctions
The U.S. Treasury sanctioned Iranian financiers and more than a dozen entities across Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates for allegedly facilitating $100 million in cryptocurrency transfers from Iranian oil sales to benefit Iran’s government and military.
North America
Trump fortune balloons by billions after family firm’s crypto token starts trading
The Trump family’s cryptocurrency venture, World Liberty Financial, put its namesake digital tokens up for sale on Monday, adding some $5bn in paper value to Donald Trump’s family fortune. The token, known as $WLFI, fell in value on Monday in their first day of trading.
Africa
South Africa - Cryptocurrency is not subject to exchange control
In a landmark ruling, the Pretoria High Court in Standard Bank v South African Reserve Bank ruled that cryptocurrencies do not constitute “capital” under South Africa’s Exchange Control Regulations. This means crypto assets are not subject to the country’s strict exchange control regime, offering long-awaited clarity for the crypto industry.
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 & Sustainability
Zhang H., Li X., Zhu J., 2025
Greenwashing by building material manufacturers undermines fair market competition and hinders the expected process of green transformation in the construction industry. Blockchain technology provides reliable technical support for managing greenwashing behavior with features such as transparency and traceability. By constructing two state variables, i.e., supply chain information transparency and the goodwill level of green building materials, a tripartite mathematical model is developed using differential game method, which includes the government, a building material manufacturer, and a building material retailer. By solving the feedback Nash equilibrium solution, we investigate how the manufacturer’s green innovation and greenwashing behaviors are impacted in the blockchain scenario. Additionally, the adoption strategy of blockchain technology is derived from a policy perspective. The results show that (1) blockchain adoption significantly curbs greenwashing but does not effectively incentivize green innovation; (2) blockchain deployment yields greater social welfare only under conditions of manufacturers’ high degree of greenwashing, low consumers’ green preference, minimal blockchain environmental cost, and high cost coefficient of green innovation; and (3) the goodwill of green building materials declines over time whether or not blockchain technology is adopted, whereas supply chain information transparency increases when blockchain is adopted. This study offers a blockchain-based strategy framework for mitigating greenwashing and improving transparency in the building materials supply chain.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2025.114021
Flores Lara J. C., El-Fadel M., Rauf A., Khalfan M. M. A., 2025
The construction industry is a significant contributor to embodied and lifecycle carbon emissions, underscoring the need for innovative strategies to achieve net-zero goals. This study develops a conceptual framework that integrates circular economy (CE) principles with Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies, such as BIM, AI, IoT, blockchain, and life cycle assessment (LCA), to enhance material efficiency, reduce emissions, and optimize resource flows. By leveraging digital innovations, the framework enables emissions tracking, predictive modeling, and process optimization, establishing the basis for data-driven decarbonization pathways. A mixed-method approach, combining scientometric and critical analyses, identifies key enablers and persistent barriers, including regulatory fragmentation, financial constraints, and digital interoperability challenges. The framework addresses these through a modular structure that allows phased implementation and emphasizes data governance dimensions as prerequisites for coordinated deployment. The findings demonstrate how digital tools can strengthen performance evaluation, support circular supply chains, and inform net-zero construction strategies. However, widespread implementation remains constrained by systemic gaps. Further empirical validation is necessary to evaluate the framework’s scalability and long-term effectiveness. By bridging digitalization with decarbonization, this study contributes a structured pathway toward a circular, low-carbon, and ultimately net-zero built environment.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.113652
Ajakwe, I.U., Ajakwe, S.O., Lee, JM. et al., 2025
The increasing industrialization and urbanization have amplified pollution, leading to the release of contaminants harmful to ecosystems and human health. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology. This review explored the integration of Internet-of-Things and blockchain technologies in environmental pollution monitoring and data management by examining 108 articles. The study highlighted the drawbacks of traditional monitoring methods, including high costs, time consumption, and limited scalability, prompting the adoption of Internet-of-Things-based solutions. In addition, by integrating blockchain technology, the frameworks ensure data authenticity, transparency, and traceability. A comparative analysis of existing Internet-of-Things-blockchain models shows that, while they improve real-time data monitoring and offer enhanced security, challenges such as high computational complexity and inadequate sensor coverage persist. The identified key issues include the need for more scalable, low-cost sensor systems and lightweight frameworks to handle diverse environmental data; the importance of selecting appropriate blockchain networks and consensus algorithms to balance security, scalability, and efficiency; and addressing lax-cryptic trustworthiness in the process, amongst other issues. Future directions solicit the convergence of Artificial Intelligence, Internet-of-Things, and blockchain technologies for more efficient and cost-effective pollution monitoring, to ensure real-time data security, authenticity, and environmental sustainability.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-025-06615-x
Events Agenda
CBC Conference 2025
1-2 November 2025, online from London
This year’s theme, “Digital Trust & Traceable Systems,” explores how blockchain is reshaping trust, accountability, and traceability across the built environment — from supply chain transparency and compliance to data assurance and sustainability
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.
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Knowledge Upgrade
How Blockchain Is Powering the Next Generation of Digital Identity
Digital identity is now one of the most significant elements of contemporary life because it influences not only the way we use services but also the level of safety for our personal data. The question has always been how to make this process safe and easy, and blockchain has come in as a potential solution. It is defining the future of online identity by providing decentralised systems that give individuals greater control over their data.
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