Identifying use cases for emerging technologies to reach financially excluded smallholders means looking beyond the hype to develop a clear understanding of these technologies' unique features, costs, and benefits. And because few innovations have generated as much hype as distributed ledger technologies (DLT), more commonly referred to as blockchain, Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP) set out to understand how this emerging technology could enable broader and more inclusive markets for agricultural finance. This Brief summarizes CGAP's approach and offers insights into the applicability of DLT to agricultural finance in a developing country context. Importantly, this Brief does not attempt to provide comprehensive background on the technology itself while additional resources are provided for readers who would like a deeper understanding of this evolving space.