Digital Asset and Paul Ryan’s foundation pilot blockchain for state benefits in 2027

Former House Speaker Paul Ryan’s American Idea Foundation is teaming up with Digital Asset to put welfare payments on a blockchain. The pilot, called RISE (Resources for Independence, Stability, and Employment), plans to consolidate and distribute state-administered benefits across three US states starting in Q1 2027. The system runs on the Canton Network, a public Layer-1 blockchain built by Digital Asset specifically for institutional use. It’s designed to handle sensitive government data with privacy protections baked in. What RISE actually does The core idea is deceptively simple: take the messy patchwork of state benefit programs and combine them into unified monthly payments. Right now, recipients of public assistance often navigate multiple agencies, separate application processes, and different payment schedules for things like food assistance and childcare subsidies. RISE aims to streamline all of that into a single system. The blockchain layer adds three capabilities: automatic adjustments to benefit amounts based on changes in household income and employment status; real-time monitoring of expenditures across benefit categories by authorized parties; and enhanced fraud p...