US government subsidizes blockchain projects with $600,000

Rage Review : More and more governments are interested in the application of government blockchain. As early as April this year, the US Department of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) announced that it was looking for a "secure information system" using a "distributed ledger" to spread encrypted information. The military alliance NATO and the British government are also developing related applications. Now the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has subsidized six companies dedicated to the development of government blockchain applications with $600,000 to allow companies to study government data analysis, connected devices and blockchain.

Translation: Nicole

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has awarded $600,000 in subsidies to six companies working on developing government blockchain applications.

In a press release earlier this week, the government's Science and Technology Council has awarded $3.1 million in grants to 29 small businesses in the U.S. that are working on data analytics, connected devices and blockchain. The government said each company received about $100,000 in grants.

The funds come from the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program following a comment period last December.

The grants for “identity management and privacy-preserving blockchain applications” went to four companies: Digital Bazaar, Inc., Respect Network Corporation, Narf Industries LLC, and Celerity Government Solutions LLC.

Two additional grants for “Blockchain Applications for Homeland Security Analysis” went to BlockCypher and RAM Laboratories LLC.

The grants come from governments around the world, including the U.S., and are aimed at applying blockchain-based solutions to a variety of sectors.

Growing government interest

In April, the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) announced it was looking for a “secure messaging system” that would use a “distributed ledger” to transmit encrypted messages.

Military alliance NATO has also expressed an interest in the field, announcing a competition to innovate the technology in May. At the time, the organization said the system would see use on the battlefield, as well as have wider functional applications within the Department of Defense.

Other government agencies around the world are pursuing similar projects.

Last month, the Commonwealth Secretariat, the executive agency of the 53-member Commonwealth, released a communications app that is a law enforcement application that uses technology to establish identity.