United States Postal Service Set Use Blockchain Technology to Backup Data

While U.S. government bodies have largely been skeptical regarding cryptocurrencies, they do see the critical role blockchain technology could play in the way they operate.

Postal Service Blockchain Patent Proposal

The United States Postal Service (USPS) is the latest government body looking to embrace the innovation underpinning Bitcoin. The national mailing service is currently considering utilizing a blockchain to help cultivate digital trust, as outlined in patent documents published on March 22, 2018.

The patent application the US Postal Service filed was titled “Methods and Systems for Digital Trust Architecture” and had initially been presented in September 2017.

The filing discussed how the current system was not up to the task of adequately providing trust for users, as there was not enough security in place. The likes of insecure messaging and tampering of transactions, for instance, were some of the concerns specifically mentioned.

The US firm added that there needed to be changes made to the current system especially in an environment that is moving closer and closer to open-source platforms involving multiple parties.

Some of the solutions outlined included better securing email practices, and others discussed the provision of private and public keys for users. It also discussed the implementation of some form of blockchain component that will allow users to send their records and for them to be instantly added to a blockchain.

This patent could mean the US Postal Service would be open to issuing their token that could be used on the platform. Despite the mention of a “special digital token,” there were no further details provided.

They did, however, say that a token could be used for creating a record for any given user to be included on a blockchain. This type of transaction would provide proper evidence that certain operations took place and which parties were involved.

Future Benefits

This filing provides a fascinating insight into how government bodies are thinking about implementing blockchain technology into their current operations.

It is clear that the US Postal Service is fully aware of the many benefits the implementation of blockchain technology and even a digital token may have on their operations.

It was way back in 2016 that the Postal Service first reported on the potential creation of a native cryptocurrency, as well as using blockchain technology for other applications, such as in a supply chain.