US Officials Eye Blockchain Applications For Visas, Foreign Aid

The U.S. General Services Agency has revealed a list of possible applications for blockchain technology under consideration by the government.

AccessTimeIconAug 8, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. UTC
Updated Aug 18, 2021 at 6:38 p.m. UTC

Presented By Icon

Election 2024 coverage presented by

Stand with crypto

The U.S. General Services Agency (GSA) has launched a new information portal in which it lists possible applications for blockchain technology under consideration by the federal government.

Unveiled quietly last week, the launch comes at a time when the GSA is becoming more public in its interest in blockchain technology, hosting a dedicated event for federal officials in July, and a month prior, revealing it is looking at ways to integrate the tech into its IT procurement systems.

  • Bitcoin Mining in the U.S. Will Become 'a Lot More Decentralized': Core Scientific CEO
    13:18
    Bitcoin Mining in the U.S. Will Become 'a Lot More Decentralized': Core Scientific CEO
  • Binance to Discontinue Its Nigerian Naira Services After Government Scrutiny
    05:10
    Binance to Discontinue Its Nigerian Naira Services After Government Scrutiny
  • The first video of the year 2024
    04:07
    The first video of the year 2024
  • The last regression video of the year 3.67.0
    40:07
    The last regression video of the year 3.67.0
  • While admittedly the process is in its early stages, the GSA said it has seen strong interest from other US federal agencies in its work, writing:

    "We hosted the first U.S. Federal Blockchain Forum on July 18, 2017, uniting more than 100 federal managers from dozens of unique agencies to discuss use cases, limitations, and solutions. Agency teams submitted their own potential use cases for blockchain technology to our current repository of almost 200 submissions."

    Procurement, foreign aid and visa issuance are just a few of the use cases various agencies are said to be proposing, according to the website.

    Other suggestions include:

    • Appropriated funds
    • Federal assistance and foreign aid delivery
    • Federal personnel workforce data
    • Financial management
    • Government-issued credentials like passports, SSN and birth certificates
    • IT asset and supply chain management
    • Patents, trademarks and copyrights
    • Procurement
    • Royalties
    • Smart contracts.

    Notably, the GSA isn't the only agency that is investigating blockchain's possible use cases in supporting the functioning of government.

    In June, CoinDesk reported that the Department of State (which leads the government's diplomatic efforts) began seeking an intern to support a new Blockchain@State working group. That program is being overseen by the State Department's Office of Global Partnerships.

    Jefferson Memorial image via Shutterstock

    Disclosure

    Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information have been updated.

    CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk has adopted a set of principles aimed at ensuring the integrity, editorial independence and freedom from bias of its publications. CoinDesk is part of the Bullish group, which owns and invests in digital asset businesses and digital assets. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive Bullish group equity-based compensation. Bullish was incubated by technology investor Block.one.


    Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk's longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.