Romania has made an ambitious leap into the future of electoral transparency by implementing blockchain technology in its 2024 Presidential election to count and validate votes on the 24th of November. Romania Blockchain Election is a strategic move toward safeguarding the democratic process, ensuring both the security, transparency and integrity of the nation’s voting system. A Romania blockchain developer Ovidiu Damian at Pi Squared said through his X handle “Romania casually using blockchain tech to ensure election integrity”.
The integration of blockchain allows for immutable, verifiable records that cannot be tampered with, marking a bold effort to foster public trust in the election process.
The initiative was spearheaded by the Permanent Electoral Authority (ROAP)—Romania Autoritatea Electorală Permanentă) in close collaboration with Romania’s Special Telecommunication Service (STS), which has been instrumental in the development of secure and modern systems for managing national elections. The system ensures that votes are counted accurately and securely, providing the public with access to real-time, transparent results. 
Over 83,000 cryptographically verified blocks containing voter data have already been logged on the blockchain, creating an open, decentralized ledger that is accessible via the ROAP website. This gave voters and election observers the ability to track the progress of the election as it unfolds, offering unparalleled transparency.
One of the most groundbreaking aspects of this initiative is the real-time tracking capability. For the first time in Romanian history, election results were continuously updated and displayed graphically on the ROAP website. This allowed voters to monitor the centralization of votes from both domestic and international voting stations, giving them confidence in the final count.
The blockchain solution used in Romania’s presidential election operates on the European Blockchain Services Infrastructure (EBSI), a decentralized network that connects nodes across 27 EU member states. This collaboration with the EBSI strengthens the resilience and traceability of Romania’s election data.
Through digital fingerprint, the election data are permanently recorded on the EBSI blockchain, which provide an immutable record of the election’s data, making it verifiable at any point in the future. This layer of security is designed to protect the integrity of the electoral process for years to come, enabling any irregularities or discrepancies to be easily identified thus preventing any potential manipulation or fraud.
Romania’s embrace of blockchain technology in the electoral process is not an isolated event. The country has been at the forefront of blockchain innovation, implementing numerous initiatives in recent years that position it as a global leader in the technology space.
In 2023, Romania’s ICI Decentralized Services launched an NFT trading platform in partnership with the MultiversX Foundation, one of Romania’s most prominent blockchain companies. This platform operates on the MultiversX (EGLD) blockchain, further demonstrating Romania’s commitment to blockchain integration across various sectors.
In 2024, the national news agency Agerpres took blockchain adoption even further by publishing official news articles as NFTs, permanently anchoring them on the MultiversX blockchain. These efforts not only promote transparency but also showcase Romania’s ability to innovate and lead on the global stage.
MultiversX, a Romania-based Layer 1 blockchain, has played a key role in advancing these efforts. Founded by Beniamin Mincu, Lucian Mincu, and Lucian Todea, MultiversX has gained international recognition for its robust blockchain infrastructure and innovative technology, including its highly praised sharding mechanism.
This technology allows for greater scalability and efficiency compared to other blockchain platforms. This has positioned MultiversX as a strong competitor to established networks like Ethereum. Additionally, the platform’s partnerships with global companies such as Alibaba Cloud are helping to expand its reach, particularly in the Asian market. The rapid development of MultiversX and its ecosystem has made Romania a key player in the global blockchain movement.
Romania Blockchain Election does not only enhance electoral transparency but also showcased how this technology can be used to modernize and secure critical public infrastructure. Blockchain’s ability to provide an immutable, decentralized record makes it a powerful tool for electoral reform, setting a new standard for democratic processes around the world.
As the world watches, Romania’s bold integration of blockchain into its election system may well serve as a model for other nations to adopt. With its continued advancements in blockchain adoption, Romania is cementing its role as a global leader in digital transformation.
