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CEBB — Centre for Evidence-Based Blockchain

Building a stronger evidence base for blockchain.

CEBB is the British Blockchain Association's international research community dedicated to rigorous, evidence-informed approaches to blockchain technologies, digital assets and distributed systems.

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Evidence Based Blockchain global study infographic by Naseem Naqvi and Mureed Hussain: five problems in blockchain decision-making, the evidence pyramid, study results and PCIO assessment questions.
Evidence Based Blockchain · Research infographic by Naseem Naqvi and Mureed Hussain

CEBB · Evidence for public policy

From research to better-informed decisions

Explore 32 open-access infographics to help frame policy questions, scrutinise proposals and identify research relevant to public decisions. Each visual summary links to its supporting publication.

Frame the question

Start with the public problem, affected communities and the outcomes a proposal should deliver.

Examine the evidence

Use the infographic as an introduction. Read the study’s methods, context, findings and limitations before drawing conclusions.

Test local relevance

Compare alternatives, consult stakeholders and define measures for evaluating a pilot before scaling it.

Research infographic library

The policy questions below are reading prompts, not claims that a technology is suitable for every setting. Research reflects its publication date and study context.

32 infographics

Bring an evidence question to CEBB

Discuss a policy challenge, research question or potential collaboration with the Centre for Evidence-Based Blockchain.

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OUR PURPOSE

Better evidence. Better decisions.

The Centre for Evidence-Based Blockchain brings together researchers, practitioners and institutions who share a commitment to evaluating blockchain technologies with the same seriousness expected in other evidence-informed disciplines.

Its purpose is to improve how questions are framed, how evidence is assessed and how research findings are translated into policy and practice.

PCIO FRAMEWORK · EVIDENCE-BASED BLOCKCHAIN

P

Problem

Define the problem, who it affects and the needs the decision must address.

C

Comparison

Identify the existing approach or alternative against which blockchain will be evaluated.

I

Intervention

Specify the blockchain intervention and how it is intended to address the problem.

O

Outcome

Define measurable outcomes and assess the benefits, costs and effects that matter.

FROM QUESTION TO PRACTICE

The 5A’s of Evidence-Based Blockchain

PCIO structures the question. The 5A’s guide how evidence informs the decision and how its results are evaluated.

  1. 01

    Ask

    Formulate an answerable question using the PCIO Framework.

  2. 02

    Acquire

    Find the best available evidence from research, organisations, stakeholders and professional expertise.

  3. 03

    Appraise

    Critically evaluate the evidence for quality, relevance and limitations.

  4. 04

    Apply

    Bring the evidence together with expertise and stakeholder needs to inform the decision.

  5. 05

    Assess

    Evaluate the results and the decision-making process, and use what you learn to improve practice.

Read BBA’s update on PCIO and its use at the UN ↗

FROM THE UK’S NATIONAL BLOCKCHAIN ROADMAP · JULY 2021

From a defined problem to measurable impact.

The Roadmap connects PCIO with regular evaluation of blockchain programmes. It asks three distinct questions: can an intervention work, does it work in practice, and is it worth the resources it requires?

Efficacy

Can it work under ideal conditions?

Effectiveness

Does it work in real-world settings?

Efficiency

Is it worth it, considering the outcomes and resources used?

Roadmap page 26: PCIO question framework, followed by basic science, efficacy in ideal settings, effectiveness in real-world settings, efficiency, availability and distribution
Original Roadmap artwork, page 26. The progression continues beyond efficiency to availability and distribution. Read the source page ↗

Look beyond the technology.

The Roadmap calls for regular audits of the societal impact of blockchain applications. Evaluate who benefits, what changes, and whether the intervention continues to serve its intended communities.

Its impact diagram spans enterprise and industry, public policy, society and culture, government and politics, health and quality of life, the environment, academia, and international activity.

Blockchain societal impact diagram showing eight domains: government and political, academic, public policy, enterprise and industry, environmental, international and trans-national, health and quality of life, society and culture
Original Roadmap artwork, page 9; accompanying recommendation on page 8. Read the recommendation ↗

Source: BBA / CEBB, An Excellence Standards Framework for the UK’s National Blockchain Roadmap (Vision 2030), July 2021. Original figure credits are retained in the reproduced pages.

Quality of evidence: Levels 1–4.

The Roadmap’s framework distinguishes the strength of the evidence from the recommendation made from it. These summaries sit alongside the original table and its full qualifications.

  1. Level 1: Multiple independent peer-reviewed studies, critically appraised evidence synthesis, systematic reviews and high-quality comparative research.
  2. Level 2: A single peer-reviewed research article or interventional case study, high-power comparative industry research, a critical review or analytical essay.
  3. Level 3: Non-peer-reviewed case studies, lower-power comparative research, white papers, consensus reports and commentary.
  4. Level 4: Untested hypotheses, opinions without explicit critical appraisal, anecdotes, blog posts or work without a scientific publication or case study.

Grades A–D separately describe the basis for recommending an action, weighing evidence, benefits, risks and bias. A level of evidence should not be treated as an automatic recommendation grade.

Roadmap page 12: evidence Levels 1, 2, 3 and 4; recommendation Grades A, B, C and D; factors reducing evidence quality
Original table: M. Hussain, The JBBA; reproduced in the July 2021 Roadmap, page 12. Read the original table ↗

From activity to a Point of Reference.

Professor Naseem Naqvi distinguishes immediate activity and results from longer-term changes in people’s lives. The ambition is for work with demonstrated impact to become a Point of Reference (POR) for other people and organisations.

  1. Inputs
    Resources and effort invested.
  2. Outputs
    What the activities produce.
  3. Outcomes
    The benefits of those results.
  4. Impact
    Longer-term changes in lives and systems.
  5. Point of Reference (POR)
    Work that others refer to and learn from.

Source: Professor Naqvi’s explanation of outputs, outcomes, impact and Point of Reference ↗.

Explore the Evidence-Based Blockchain library

Original publications by Professor Naseem Naqvi and colleagues, video tutorials, interviews, research citations and case studies—including Hannah Rudman’s agri-farming research and the UNJSPF digital identity paper.

Browse publications, tutorials and case studies →
GLOBAL RESEARCH COMMUNITYResearchers · Institutions · Practitioners

COMMUNITY

Connecting scholarship across borders and disciplines.

CEBB supports an international network of researchers and institutional members, creating opportunities for collaboration, dissemination and interdisciplinary exchange.

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Research & Evidence →Journal of the BBA →Scientific Conference →
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Follow the evidence across BBA research.

CEBB Members →Journal of the BBA →Evidence-Based Blockchain →International Scientific Conference →

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Using and sharing research infographics

CEBB infographics introduce selected findings from published research. Read the supporting article for the full methods, evidence and limitations, and consult the published infographic information when commissioning or sharing a visual summary.

Infographic information & terms →CEBB institutional history →