Impact Tokens: A blockchain-based solution for impact investing

This report explores how blockchain technology and 'impact tokens' can address systemic barriers in the impact investing industry to better mobilize funding for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

• Impact investing aims to produce measurable social and environmental benefits alongside financial returns, but a 2018 Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) survey identified five primary barriers to scaling this approach to meet SDG financing needs: a lack of appropriate capital across the risk/return spectrum, the absence of a common market definition and segmentation, insufficient exit options, underdeveloped impact measurement practices, and a shortage of high-quality investment opportunities.
• Impact tokens are digital tokens on a blockchain designed to unlock investments for projects with positive social and environmental impacts. A review of more than 200 active or developing projects identified four main benefits of these tokens: they increase trust between parties, promote social and financial inclusion, enhance data collection while speeding up monitoring, reporting, and verification, and provide incentives for sustainable behaviors.
• Blockchain technology addresses impact investing challenges by enabling frictionless value transfer, providing an immutable ledger for trust, and using smart contracts to program assets into digital tokens. Most current applications focus on digitizing marketplaces, lowering transaction costs, and creating platforms to exchange non-financial values such as data, natural capital, and impact.

APA

Guerdat,, D. U. (2019). Impact Tokens: A blockchain-based solution for impact investing. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/impact-tokens-blockchain-based-solution-impact-investing

Chicago

Guerdat,, David Uzsoki,Patrick. Impact Tokens: A blockchain-based solution for impact investing. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2019. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/impact-tokens-blockchain-based-solution-impact-investing.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Guerdat, |first1=David Uzsoki,Patrick |title=Impact Tokens: A blockchain-based solution for impact investing |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=19 April 2019 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/impact-tokens-blockchain-based-solution-impact-investing |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{guerdat2019impact, author = {Guerdat,, David Uzsoki,Patrick}, title = {{Impact Tokens: A blockchain-based solution for impact investing}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2019}, month = apr, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/impact-tokens-blockchain-based-solution-impact-investing}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }