The US State Department will host a forum on Blockchain on Oct. 10. The event will take place in George C. Marshall Center, Washington, DC where various offices from the State Department and other parts of the US government, as well as those from the private sector, will join the one-day workshop organized by the Blockchain@State initiative.
According to the group, the mission of the event is to "explore both the policy implications and potential applications" of the tech within the context of US diplomatic efforts. The group was originally launched earlier this year.
Moreover, they have the goal of tracking Blockchain developments and keeping the department informed of new applications with the technology. The US State Department is looking to boost its research resources in support of a new working group focused on Blockchain.
Reporting to Thomas Debass, the director for innovation and the acting special representative for global partnerships, the group will track developments in Blockchain and prepare bi-weekly briefings to keep the initiative informed of new applications in the field.
Participating companies
Included in the list of participating companies are the IBM, Microsoft, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, ConsenSys, and many other firms. Part of the discussion in the Blockchain workshop is the presentation of cases among participating companies.
Furthermore, the workshop will also lecture about how Blockchain can assist with various global issues, including humanitarian crises.
Although some details are unclear at this time – the opening keynote speaker is only identified as a "High-Level U.S. Government Official", per EventBrite – confirmed speakers include Toomas Ilves, former president of Estonia, and State Department chief information officer Frontis Wiggins.
"Blockchain is not just for Bitcoin. And it's not just for the private sector. Nations and cities around the world are actively utilizing this technology to transform the work of government. This is happening now. And the Department of State cannot afford to wait to explore applications of this technology to the work of international development and diplomacy”.
This will be the second Blockchain-related forum involving the State Department this year, after an inter-agency event held in July.