Investigating the Impact of Blockchain Technology on the Inclination toward Green Entrepreneurship with Emphasis on the Mediating Role of Digital Knowledge Sharing Among Startup Entrepreneurs

This study aims to investigate the impact of blockchain technology on the inclination toward green entrepreneurship, with a focus on the mediating role of digital knowledge sharing among startup entrepreneurs in Iran. Drawing on the Technology Acceptance Model (Davis, 1989) and the Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1991), this research evaluates the influence of perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control on the adoption of blockchain technology and its role in enhancing the inclination toward green entrepreneurship through digital knowledge sharing. A quantitative research approach was employed, and data were collected using a standardized 7-point Likert scale questionnaire from 420 startup entrepreneurs in the cities of Tehran, Isfahan, and Shiraz. Data analysis was conducted using SmartPLS4 software and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results revealed that perceived usefulness (β = 0.38, p < 0.01) and perceived ease of use (β = 0.34, p < 0.01) have a strong impact on blockchain adoption. Blockchain adoption directly (β = 0.33, p < 0.01) and indirectly, through digital knowledge sharing (β = 0.15, p < 0.01), had a significant positive effect on the inclination toward green entrepreneurship. Digital knowledge sharing partially mediated this relationship, strengthening its effect. These findings underscore the importance of developing blockchain infrastructure and promoting digital knowledge sharing to foster green entrepreneurship. The results of this study can assist policymakers and entrepreneurs in designing educational and infrastructural programs to create sustainable ecosystems.