Transparency in Blockchain Technology: A Tool for Preventing Economic Crime and Strengthening Public Trust

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Master of Science in Criminal Law and Criminology, Razavi University of Islamic Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Law, Razavi University of Islamic Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

Abstract
This article systematically analyzes the role of transparency in blockchain technology as a new and transformative strategy in the field of non-criminal prevention of economic crimes. Given the cross-border, hidden, and complex nature of financial crimes in the digital age, which has created numerous challenges for traditional judicial systems, this research explores how the inherent and distributed transparency feature of blockchain can act as an efficient tool in two layers of situational and social prevention. The research method in this study is descriptive-analytical and analyzes the different dimensions of this phenomenon by utilizing reliable legal, criminological, and specialized texts in the field of information technology. The results of this research show that structural transparency in blockchain helps prevent economic crimes in two strategic ways. First, from a situational prevention perspective, this technology, with its permanent, real-time, and immutable transaction traceability, creates powerful technical and regulatory barriers to criminal activities such as money laundering, tax evasion, and corruption, effectively reducing opportunities for crime. Second, from a social prevention perspective, blockchain restores public trust in governance institutions and economic processes by providing a transparent, democratic, and auditable financial ecosystem for all actors, thereby weakening the psychological and social incentives to engage in criminal behavior. Finally, this article concludes that leveraging the transparency capabilities of blockchain is a comprehensive, proactive, and efficient approach to combating economic crime that can address the shortcomings of traditional centralized systems and pave the way for a healthier, safer, and more just financial environment.

Keywords


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  • Receive Date 29 December 2025
  • Revise Date 18 February 2026
  • Accept Date 30 March 2026
  • First Publish Date 21 April 2026
  • Publish Date 21 April 2026