11 Lawmakers Urge US Treasury to Consider Blockchain for COVID-19 Relief

Eleven members of Congress are calling on the U.S. Treasury Department to take a look at new applied sciences, together with blockchain and distributed ledger expertise (DLT), to assist streamline how money and provides are distributed beneath a federal regulation attempting to increase the economic system through the COVID-19 disaster. 

A letter addressed to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin factors to blockchain and DLT as safe “new mechanisms” for transferring cash shortly and transparently, which might in flip increase liquidity in distributing funds through the federal CARES Act. 

U.S. Congressman Darren Soto (D-Fla.) spearheaded the letter, dated April 23 however launched publicly on Tuesday.

Reps. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), David Schweikert (R-Ariz.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Warren Davidson (R-Ohio), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio), Bill Posey (R-Fla.) and Ben McAdams (D-Utah) and Delegate Stacey Plaskett (D-U.S. Virgin Islands) all joined Soto in signing the letter.

“We perceive your main mission is to ship pressing and vital help to America’s small companies and dealing households,” the letter says. “As the pandemic continues to affect the economic system, we glance ahead to supporting the Administration’s efforts to get American small companies operating whereas additionally prioritizing well being, security, and correct oversight.”

However, the letter says, the Treasury Department can take “extra steps” to enhance its efforts.

“We thus strongly encourage the Treasury Department to make the most of personal sector improvements reminiscent of blockchain and DLT to help the required features of presidency to distribute and monitor aid packages and direct that every one steering help the usage of expertise to facilitate supply of CARES Act advantages,” the letter says. “Such steps will guarantee each that America retains its technological benefit and that aid is delivered shortly to the small companies and people who want it most.”

The letter factors to China’s rollout of its personal blockchain system for example of different nations pursuing the identical expertise.

Soto, who co-chairs the Congressional Blockchain Caucus, instructed CoinDesk he had spoken with builders, entrepreneurs and different members of the caucus in drafting the letter. 

In his view, blockchain or DLT instruments is likely to be essentially the most safe ones obtainable to remedy some logistical challenges the federal authorities is going through in distributing funds and different provides.

Blockchain-based techniques could possibly be coupled with synthetic intelligence (AI) to higher handle the info being tracked or transmitted, he stated.

“It works so effectively in hand with synthetic intelligence and it is not topic to hacking or adjustments upon getting that mounted ledger down,” he stated. 

Soto sees AI as a supplementary device, relatively than one thing to take cost of a distribution community. Policymakers would nonetheless want to set strict parameters and people would nonetheless have to act as directors for such a system, he stated. 

“We might see better velocity and effectivity proper now,” he stated of the proposed system. 

Due to the COVID-19 disaster, there may be much more demand for sure items than there may be provide, and having people handle their distribution is a troublesome job. 

“I imagine it’s price a minimum of doing pilot packages,” Soto stated. The outcomes of those pilots can inform what a subsequent step may appear to be, he stated, although he’s not trying to instantly substitute present techniques with blockchain-based variations simply but.

This is an efficient time to begin the dialog, Soto stated. 

“During this horrible disaster there are particular alternatives to advance applied sciences,” he stated. “This presents us with a chance to probably get better effectivity for lots of these logistical points.”

Read the total letter beneath: