Canton Blockchain System Aims to Streamline State Benefits Distribution
Digital Asset and Paul Ryan's American Idea Foundation are launching a blockchain-based system to distribute state-administered benefits across three US states. The RISE program, set to launch in Q1 2027, combines multiple benefits into monthly or twice-monthly payments with spending rules applied to categories like food, childcare, and cash.
The Canton Network will coordinate the rules, permissions, and transactions used to distribute benefits while limiting access to sensitive information. The permissioned design allows agencies to share a single ledger without exposing full personal data of recipients.
Ryan framed the pilot as a way to fix what he describes as a fragmented safety net, pointing to penalties that can occur as benefit recipients' incomes rise. 'By combining fragmented benefits, reducing penalties as families earn more, and rigorously measuring results, these pilots can help show what a modern safety net should look like,' Ryan said.
The companies did not name the participating states or specify which benefit programs would be included, and said the pilots remain subject to federal approval. The effort adds a public-benefits use case to Canton, whose recent growth has centered on institutional finance projects involving government securities.