US looks to blockchain for military and defense use

The US Department of Defense (DoD) is now looking to use blockchain for military purposes. It would appear that the intent is mainly for securing communication by defense personnel.

This development is courtesy of a document that the DoD filed earlier this month that touches on blockchain, as well as many other current technological innovations. In the paper, it was noted that tests are already underway to see if blockchain can be used to transmit communication securely.

“The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is starting to experiment with blockchain to create a more efficient, robust, and secure platform using a blockchain protocol that will allow personnel from anywhere to transmit secure messages or process transactions that can be traced through numerous channels of a decentralized ledger,” the document reads.

"The application will be used in different ways, including facilitating communication between units and headquarters, and transmitting information between intelligence officers and the Pentagon."

On top of communications, DARPA is also supposedly working on ways to create codes that cannot be hacked. It is doing so with the help of blockchain and it could potentially allow the tracking of the hackers themselves since their information would also be displayed courtesy of the network.

Aside from blockchain, the file also discussed such things as quantum computing, the Internet of Things, 5G technology, and the Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6). Suffice it to say, the DoD is looking at several of the most highly anticipated technological revolutions for the sake of defense.

This is not the first time that the DoD has shown interest in blockchain either, Yahoo News reports. The department also held a workshop last year but that was to emphasize the potential uses of decentralization in providing relief during disasters.