Blockchain continues to grab the attention of governments around the world, with the US State Department becoming the latest to announce it is looking into potential applications.

The department has set up a project titled ‘Blockchain@State’ in order to research the applications that distributed ledger tech may have for US foreign policy.

In a statement on its website, the department writes:

“Blockchain is not just for bitcoin. And it’s not just for the private sector. Nations and cities around the world are actively utilizing this technology to transform the work of government. This is happening now.

“And the Department of State cannot afford to wait to explore applications of this technology to the work of international development and diplomacy.”

The statement notes that the unique security of blockchain tech has the potential to ‘disrupt and improve’ functions across a range of industries.

The group will report to the Director for Innovation and the Acting Special Representative for Global Partnerships.

Other government initiatives

The list of international governmental blockchain research projects continues to grow by the day.

Vattenfall, the Swedish government owned energy company, announced a field trail for blockchain fingerprint recognition technology.

According to CoinDesk, the Canadian government has joined the Blockchain Research Institute. The government hopes that joining the initiative will help give Canada a ‘globally competitive advantage in the development of this transformative technology’.

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