We explore the implications of blockchain technology for conservation and environmental policy. Drawing on an analysis of 27 initiatives, we examine their goals, assumptions, visions and workings. We find that these initiatives do not yet form a coherent approach, there is too much variety in their environmental focus, and the role of blockchain technology in achieving their goals. However, they share a faith in environmental-commodity markets, a penchant for surveillance and upward accountability, and lack a critical analysis of the main causes of environmental problems. Blockchain initiatives are forming a growing community of praxis and deepen ongoing trends in neoliberal environmental governance, characterised by the increased commodification and global accounting, surveillance and marketisation of environmental goods, services and outcomes. We suggest these services and outcomes fail to challenge the actual root causes of environmental degradation. At the same time, they are not all necessarily flawed by these characteristics. They can render information held by communities financially valuable in ways those communities may find useful. Future research should focus on exploring whether blockchain initiatives may at least translate in concrete environmental outcomes and contribute to the well-being of natural resource managers.

中文翻译：

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智能、商品化和编码：环境可持续性和自然保护的区块链技术

我们探讨了区块链技术对保护和环境政策的影响。通过对 27 项举措的分析，我们检查了他们的目标、假设、愿景和运作方式。我们发现这些举措还没有形成一个连贯的方法，它们的环境重点多种多样，以及区块链技术在实现其目标方面的作用。然而，他们对环境商品市场有着共同的信念，都喜欢监督和向上问责，并且缺乏对环境问题主要原因的批判性分析。区块链计划正在形成一个不断壮大的实践社区，并深化新自由主义环境治理的持续趋势，其特点是环境商品、服务和成果的商品化和全球会计、监督和市场化。我们认为这些服务和成果未能挑战环境退化的实际根源。同时，它们不一定都受到这些特征的影响。它们可以以社区认为有用的方式使社区持有的信息具有财务价值。未来的研究应侧重于探索区块链计划是否至少可以转化为具体的环境成果并为自然资源管理者的福祉做出贡献。