A $700 billion defense bill passed by the US Senate includes a mandate for a blockchain study to be conducted by the Department of Defense.

Yesterday, the US Senate passed a massive defense spending package that provides hundreds of billions of dollars to the US military. Public records show that an amendment included in that bill, proposed by Senator Rob Portman of Ohio, would “require a report on cyber applications of blockchain technology” if signed into law.

According to the official Congressional website, the amendment was agreed to by unanimous consent ahead of the defense bill’s final vote.

The research effort, according to the amendment’s text is described as:

“…a report on the potential offensive and defensive cyber applications of blockchain technology and other distributed database technologies and an assessment of efforts by foreign powers, extremist organizations, and criminal networks to utilize these technologies.”

The study, additional materials indicate, is expected to be delivered six months after the defense bill is signed into law.

But more steps remain before the study’s mandate becomes law, however. The House of Representatives – the lower chamber of the US Congress – passed a similar bill in July, and now the two bodies have to hammer out a reconciled version and pass it.

Image via Shutterstock