On September 24, 2018, MIT Connection Science and IBM issued a 41-page joint report on the results of three roundtable discussions on the role of Blockchain in government. Authored by MIT’s technical director at the MIT Internet Trust Consortium, which is part of MIT Connection Science, Thomas Hardjono, the findings[1] illuminated discussions held by private and public sector leaders on the blockchain’s impact for government on digital identity, payments and supply chain/provenance.The report was released in consultation with the Congressional Blockchain Caucus.
The report highlighted three repetitive themes that occurred throughout the roundtables, namely, the need for leadership and vision from the U.S. government, the need for collaboration between the industry and the government, and increased support for research and testbed deployments of blockchain technology.
Leadership and Vision From the Government
The report cites “a need for greater vision and leadership across government regarding the development for a digital-blockchain economy.” IBM’s SVP of Blockchain, Jerry Cuomo, echoed this sentiment, stating, “Blockchain is ready for government now, it’s time for government to get ready for blockchain.”
The report suggests that Arizona’s creation[2] of a “sandbox” for companies to develop and innovate blockchain technology is an applicable model for the federal government to use. It should be noted that the report states one roundtable participant opined “that sandboxes are too late today and the U.S. Government needs to do something drastic to make up for the loss of technology leadership.”
Close Collaboration Between Industry and Government
The second recurring theme among the roundtable discussions was that “the technology industry needs to collaborate closely with all levels of government, and clearly communicate the value proposition of blockchain technology and its potential role in the future economy.”
While the report seemingly puts the onus for this
