The US Senate recommends using blockchain technology for national security testing

According to Cointellegraph, the US Senate Armed Services Committee has instructed Secretary of Defense and retired General Lloyd Austin to test the potential applications of blockchain technology in supply chain management and other national security applications within the US Department of Defense. The US Senate Armed Services Committee released the Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) report for the fiscal year 2025 on July 9th, which includes specific authorizations for the Army, Navy, Air Force, and overall defense programs. The committee recognizes the potential of blockchain technology to enhance the competitiveness of the US defense supply chain and economy: "The committee points out that blockchain technology has the potential to enhance the encrypted integrity of the defense supply chain, improve data integrity, and reduce the risk of almost equal competitors manipulating or damaging certain types of data." The Senate committee also hopes that the Department of Defense (DOD) will explore blockchain use cases to "achieve national security goals and create secure, transparent, responsible, and auditable data related to the supply chain.". To further advance this effort, the committee report instructed Austin to provide a briefing before April 1, 2025. The blockchain briefing must include six key findings, including: "A pilot project or research and development plan aimed at exploring the use of blockchain technology in national security applications, including supply chain management, network security of critical infrastructure assets, and procurement auditability." Other findings include identifying the advantages and risks of blockchain in supply chain tracking and management, analyzing the current adoption status of blockchain in the supply chain industry and foreign countries such as Russia, and determining feasibility and cost estimates.