The state of Illinois will be hosting a month-long virtual Blockchain hackathon which officially starts on July 1.

The hackathon aims to unite industry leaders and students to work together in creating new innovations in digitized government, e-identity and connected cities as part of the state’s efforts towards Smart State Initiative.

Innovation through Blockchain

Known as IBI Hack, the hackathon is being organized by the Illinois Blockchain Initiative in partnership with Fulcrum, a Blockchain startup.

The announcement says:

IBI Hack is a 30 day virtual hackathon hosted by the State of Illinois. We're aiming to bring students together to build blockchain applications with the potential to permanently shape the public sector.

The Illinois Blockchain Initiative is a Blockchain support group that was founded in 2016 by representatives of five government agencies whose main goal is to promote the technology in order to use it to help in the efficiency of systems in various sectors.

According to Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner, the state wants to promote innovation, especially with Blockchain technology as the new innovative peer to peer technology is seen to be revolutionizing various sectors across the globe.

Blockchain in other states

Illinois was the first state to join the R3 Consortium, a global conglomerate of banks and partners aimed at Blockchain-related research. While Illinois has openly expressed their support for Blockchain technology, including a dedicated Blockhain center in Chicago for Blockchain startups, other major states are yet to discuss whether cryptocurrencies need to be regulated or not.

Other government initiatives include the US State Department looking for interns for its new Blockchain technology working group, a dedicated body to research on the possible implementation of Blockchain technology in different industries.