In 2016, the state of Delaware formally revealed the Delaware Blockchain Initiative, by announcing a commitment to utilize blockchain technology to support government effectiveness and efficiency. The program also aims to promote the state as a progressive, low-regulation environment for virtual currency and blockchain-based businesses.

The state's first foray into a government blockchain implementation was the deployment of distributed ledger technology at the Delaware Public Archives, which among other things aimed at automating “compliance with laws pertaining to retention and destruction of archival documents, among other features.”

The state plans to leverage the technology next for “smart UCC filings.” Once again, automation and instant, immutable, highly secure archival of data will stand out as key benefits to the technical solution.

Blockchain technology is very new and it is developing rapidly, so there is risk involved with adopting the technology too fast. To mitigate the risk, government agencies are able to pilot and prove concepts by leveraging blockchain technology as an add-on to existing technical solutions. This seems to be what Delaware is doing right now, and it won't take long for legislators and government executives to realize the benefits, particularly through reductions in fraud, waste, and abuse. Of course, Delaware is famously known as one of the best places to incorporate a business, so in addition to standing up its own blockchain implementations, we can expect a lot more in terms of facilitating blockchain-based business. Lawmakers are already paving the path to allow shares (stocks) to be traded and/or managed on the blockchain.

• Delaware Blockchain Initiative article on Harvard by staff from the Delaware Blockchain Initiative and Symbiont
• State of Delaware's official announcement of the Delaware Blockchain Initiative by Marco Santori, Legal Ambassador of the Initiative