The US government has awarded $600,000 to six blockchain companies to study identity management and privacy protection

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has awarded $600,000 in grants to six companies researching blockchain applications for the government.

According to a news release published earlier this week, the DHS Science and Technology Directorate distributed $3.1 million in grants to 29 small companies in the U.S. that are working in areas including data analytics, connected devices and blockchain. Each company received approximately $100,000.

The funding is provided by DHS's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, which began soliciting winning companies in December last year.

Four companies received the award for 'Applicability of Blockchain Technology to Identity Management and Privacy Protection', including: Digital Bazzar, Respect Network, Narf Industries Ltd. and Celerity Government Solutions Ltd.

Two blockchain companies, BlockCypher and RAM Laboratories LLC, received the award for 'Blockchain Applications for Homeland Security Analysis'.

The grant comes at a time when governments around the world, including the United States, are looking at the use of blockchain solutions in a variety of areas.

Increased government interest

In April this year, the US Department of Defense’s Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPPA) announced that they were looking to use a ‘distributed ledger’ to create a ‘secure messaging system’ for broadcasting encrypted communications.

NATO has already expressed its interest in the field, announcing a competition for technological innovation in May. At the time, the organization said it envisioned the system being used for battlefield applications, as well as for broader functions within the Ministry of Defense.

Other government organizations around the world have begun pursuing similar projects.

Last month, the UK Commonwealth Secretariat – the executive arm of the 53-member Commonwealth – unveiled a messaging app for law enforcement proceedings that uses blockchain technology to establish identities.