Blockchain-Enabled Real Estate Ownership Transfer in Belgium: A Hybrid Institutional Framework

Abstract: This paper addresses the tension between blockchain’s technical potential and the need for legal compliance in highly regulated property markets. Drawing on Institutional Cryptoeconomics, we propose a hybrid governance architecture for real estate transactions in Belgium that complements, rather than replaces, existing legal frameworks. The system combines smart contracts for automated escrow and settlement, an AI-based assistant to reduce ex ante coordination costs, and civil notaries as institutional oracles for legal validation. By embedding algorithms within mandated structures, this “trustworthy” governance model aims to reduce transaction costs while ensuring regulatory alignment, offering a scalable template for adoption in real estate.