Government teases national blockchain strategy

The federal government has revealed plans to develop a national blockchain strategy and roadmap aimed at making Australia a global leader in the development and adoption of the technology.

The national strategy will be developed in collaboration with blockchain and technology experts from across industry and academia, and will incorporate the findings of the upcoming future scenarios report on blockchain being compiled by CSIRO’s Data61.

As part of the strategy, the government plans to establish a national blockchain roadmap, focusing on a number of policy areas including regulation, skills, innovation, investment, international competitiveness and collaboration.

The Ministry of Industry, Science and Technology has also allocated $100,000 in funding to support the AusTrade delegation to global blockchain industry event Consensus in New York next month.

This investment builds on the $700,000 allocated to the Digital Transformation Agency for this financial year to investigate the benefits of using blockchain in government payments, and the $350,000 assigned to Standards Australia to support its role in the development of international blockchain standards by global standards body ISO.

“The national strategy puts us on the front foot in exploring how government and industry can enhance the long-term development of blockchain and its uses,” Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews said.

“We will work with closely with blockchain and technology experts from industry and academia to develop the strategy, as well as with CSIRO’s Data61 to incorporate findings from their forthcoming future scenarios report on blockchain.”

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Denys Rudyi

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