The Impact of Blockchain Technology Activation by Audit Clients on Internal Control Structure Effectiveness: An Experimental Study

The research aimed to study and test the impact of blockchain activation by audit clients on the effectiveness of the internal control structure. To achieve the research objective, an experimental approach was used to test the research hypotheses on a sample of auditors belonging to accounting and auditing firms in Egypt. According to auditing standards, specifically the second fieldwork standard, the auditor is responsible for performing tests of compliance and adherence related to internal controls for the purpose of assessing the level of control risk, and thus the risk of material misstatement, leading to the planning of detection risk. The theoretical part of the research concluded that blockchain technology is one of the most impactful technological applications in the current work environment. Additionally, there is a near consensus in previous related studies that activating this technology has an impact on the five main components of the internal control structure . In its practical part, the research concluded that the five research hypotheses related to the components of the internal control structure were accepted, confirming auditors' awareness of the potential benefits of blockchain activation by audit clients to enhance the effectiveness of the internal control structure. KEYWORDS blockchain technology, control activities, digital transformation, Egyptian market, financial transactions, internal audit