The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s research and development wing, the Science & Technology (S&T) Directorate, on Friday awarded $817,712 in total to five blockchain startups in a bid to reimagine the federal government’s anti-forgery and counterfeit prevention operations.
From creating digital Social Security Number alternatives to building e-commerce tracing systems, the winners have up to six months to develop blockchain proofs-of-concepts for DHS’ client agencies. S&T’s Silicon Valley Innovation Program (SVIP), essentially an equity-free tech accelerator within S&T, is funding the round.
