Purpose The blockchain technology has tremendously enhanced the transparency, security and efficiency in many professions, including accounting. However, Iraq, as a Middle Eastern country, has not yet adopted. Therefore, understanding the factors influencing this adoption is essential for enabling accounting professionals to harness blockchain’s full potential. Design/methodology/approach This research presents a new model that identifies the main factors shaping adoption using the Technology–Organization–Environment (TOE) framework with an added focus on trust and investigates how blockchain is being adopted in Iraq’s accounting sector. This research employed a qualitative research method by involving 12 Iraqi accounting firms considering blockchain-based accounting and systems, conducting a comprehensive review of old and new literature, systematically coding key themes and carrying out semi-structured interviews for the analysis. Findings The findings reveal eight key factors influencing blockchain adoption: relative advantage, uncertainty, top management support, technological readiness, industry influence, organizational environment, competitive pressure and trust. Despite the substantial advantages of blockchain, its adoption in Iraq encounters several obstacles, such as regulatory uncertainty, insufficient technological proficiency and infrastructural deficiencies. Practical implications This study offers critical information for decision-makers and accounting experts to evaluate blockchain’s potential and manage the adoption process. Originality/value The novelty of this research is that this study introduced a new research model to enhance the TOE framework with a trust factor. While most of the recent studies adopt the TOE Framework, and this study incorporated trust as a key determinant of adoption since blockchain factors in the need for third-party intermediaries, trust becomes a critical factor, particularly in a developing economy like Iraq. This addition enhances the applicability of the TOE model in the context of blockchain adoption.
AMEN et al. (Fri,) studied this question.