Swiss town introduces blockchain voucher scheme to support conservation work

The Swiss municipality of Muri bei Bern has launched BIDI, a blockchain-based biodiversity voucher system designed to reward residents for local conservation work.

The project was developed with The Hashgraph Group, Swisscoast and Apps with Love, and runs on Hedera’s distributed ledger infrastructure. Project partners describe it as Switzerland’s first live municipal blockchain initiative.

Residents can receive digital vouchers for activities such as meadow restoration, invasive plant removal, wetland conservation and hedge maintenance. The vouchers are pegged to the Swiss franc and can be redeemed at participating local merchants and service providers.

The project replaces a paper-based voucher programme that had operated locally for several years. Swisscoast developed the payment layer using its HCHF digital Swiss franc infrastructure, while The Hashgraph Group supported the initiative through its Enterprise Accelerator Programme for government and enterprise blockchain applications.

Project partners present BIDI as an example of blockchain technology being used beyond financial markets, with a focus on public administration, environmental incentives and local economic participation. They also say the framework could be adapted for other municipalities in Switzerland and elsewhere in Europe.

Why does it matter?

The project shows how blockchain tools are being tested in local public services, not only in finance. By digitising biodiversity vouchers and linking them to local conservation work, Muri bei Bern is experimenting with a model that could make environmental incentives easier to issue, track and redeem. Its wider significance will depend on whether the system proves useful beyond a small municipal setting and whether similar projects can scale without adding unnecessary technical complexity.

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