US Homeland Security awards $200K to blockchain startup for developing credential management solution

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has awarded nearly $200,000 to blockchain startup Digital Bazaar for building a credential management solution.

Announcing the news on Thursday, DHS said the current processes of issuing, validating and verifying a number of licenses and certifications are often paper-based, do not facilitate data exchange, and could be susceptible to loss, forgery and counterfeiting. Turning these processes digital using blockchain tech could help enhance security, ensure interoperability and prevent forgery and counterfeiting, it added.

Digital Bazaar, therefore, will work on a project called “Interoperable Enterprise Identity and Credential Life-cycle Management,” to help DHS improve its processes.

“Digital Bazaar building out the enterprise credential lifecycle management capabilities of their existing platform while utilizing emerging W3C [World Wide Web Consortium] global standards mitigates enterprise risk in supporting and utilizing these standards within and across organizations,” said Anil John, technical director of the department’s silicon valley innovation program.

Just last week, DHS awarded $182,700 to Canadian blockchain startup Mavennet Systems for developing a solution for its Customs and Border Protection unit to help it track oil and natural gas imports from Canada in “real-time.”