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Senate Urges Department of Defense to Explore Blockchain Technology for National Security
Photo by Israel Palacio on Unsplash.
Key points
- Blockchain technology could increase cryptographic integrity in defense supply chains.
- Senate Requires Department of Defense to Hold Blockchain Briefing by April 2025
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The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee has directed Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to explore the potential applications of blockchain technology for supply chain management and national security within the Department of Defense.
In its fiscal year 2025, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) relationship Published on July 9, the committee recognized the potential of blockchain to enhance the cryptographic integrity of defense supply chains, improve data integrity, and reduce the risk of data manipulation by adversaries.
The report calls on the Department of Defense to examine blockchain use cases to “achieve national security objectives and create secure, transparent, accountable, and verifiable supply chain data.
The committee directed Secretary Austin to provide a briefing by April 1, 2025, covering six key areas. These include plans for pilot programs to explore blockchain in national security applications, identifying benefits and risks for supply chain management, analyzing current industry and foreign adoption, and providing feasibility and cost estimates.
“The committee finds that blockchain technology has the potential to enhance the cryptographic integrity of the defense supply chain, improve data integrity, and reduce the risk of manipulation or corruption of certain types of data by near-peer competitors,” the report states.
This directive comes as US politicians are increasingly advocating for cryptocurrency adoption. The Republican National Committee (RNC) recently approved a draft policy platform supporting mining for Bitcoin and other proof-of-work networks. Their platform states: “We will defend the right to mine Bitcoin and ensure every American has the right to self-custody of their digital assets and transact free from government surveillance and control.”
The Senate committee’s blockchain exploration directive and the RNC’s crypto-friendly stance highlight the growing interest in blockchain and crypto applications at the highest levels of US government and politics. Trump, the leading candidate for the upcoming US elections, has declared who believes the United States should play a leading role in cryptocurrency and blockchain innovation.
“Our country must be a leader in this, there is no second best,” Trump said.
These developments could potentially accelerate the adoption of blockchain technology in critical infrastructure and government applications, while also shaping how crypto policies might be better understood and implemented in the future.
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