Key Takeaways
- Blockchain may enhance cryptographic integrity in protection provide chains.
- Senate mandates DOD briefing on blockchain by April 2025.
The US Senate Committee on Armed Providers has directed Secretary of Protection Lloyd Austin to discover potential functions of blockchain expertise for provide chain administration and nationwide safety throughout the Division of Protection.
In its fiscal 12 months 2025 Nationwide Protection Authorization Act (NDAA) report issued on July 9, the committee acknowledged blockchain’s potential to boost the cryptographic integrity of protection provide chains, enhance knowledge integrity, and cut back dangers of knowledge manipulation by adversaries.
The report requires the DOD to research blockchain use instances to “obtain nationwide safety objectives and to create safe, clear, accountable, and auditable knowledge associated to produce chains.
The committee has instructed Secretary Austin to supply a briefing by April 1, 2025 overlaying six key areas. These embody plans for pilot packages to discover blockchain in nationwide safety functions, figuring out advantages and dangers for provide chain administration, analyzing present adoption in trade and by overseas international locations, and offering feasibility and value estimates.
“The committee notes that blockchain expertise has the potential to boost the cryptographic integrity of the protection provide chain, enhance knowledge integrity, and cut back the chance of the manipulation or corruption of sure kinds of knowledge by near-peer rivals,” the report acknowledged.
This directive comes as US politicians more and more advocate for crypto adoption. The Republican Nationwide Committee (RNC) not too long ago handed a draft coverage platform supporting mining for Bitcoin and different proof-of-work networks. Their platform states: “We’ll defend the suitable to mine Bitcoin, and guarantee each American has the suitable to self-custody of their Digital Property, and transact free from Authorities Surveillance and Management.”
The Senate committee’s blockchain exploration directive and the RNC’s crypto-friendly stance spotlight the rising curiosity in blockchain and crypto functions on the highest ranges of US authorities and politics. Trump, the main candidate for the upcoming US elections, has acknowledged that he believes the US ought to lead in crypto and blockchain innovation.
“Our nation should be the chief within the subject, there isn’t any second place,” Trump mentioned.
These developments may doubtlessly speed up adoption of blockchain expertise in crucial infrastructure and authorities functions, whereas additionally shaping how crypto coverage might be higher understood and applied sooner or later.