Chainlink co-founder Sergey Nazarov believes the partnerships will cultivate trust with the U.S. government, potentially leading to larger initiatives in the future, such as on-chain voting in federal elections.
Following a partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce, Chainlink co-founder Sergey Nazarov revealed that the decentralized oracle network is now working with other agencies within the Trump administration. This collaboration aims to transfer even more federal government functions onto the blockchain.
The entrepreneur stated that a timeline for rolling out these partnerships has not yet been finalized. However, he remains optimistic that things “can move quickly.”.
In a video interview with this week, Nazarov explained that all of these agencies and departments have their own processes, which makes approvals unpredictable. He confirmed that they are certainly progressing into a series of next steps, at least regarding the data side and some different cross-chain initiatives that are also being discussed more.
Nazarov added that Chainlink is also in talks with several state governments about similar initiatives. He did not provide further details regarding those plans.
Chainlink Oracle Platform Connects Smart Contracts Across 14+ Blockchain Ecosystems
Chainlink is an oracle platform that enables smart contracts, which are foundational to most crypto activities, to securely obtain verified data from off-chain sources and integrate it across numerous blockchains. The company’s services are currently compatible with more than 14 blockchain ecosystems.
Nazarov admitted that some of Chainlink’s early ventures into government blockchain use might not seem particularly ambitious. The Department of Commerce, for example, is utilizing Chainlink to supply publicly available data on GDP, inflation, and economic demand to DeFi markets and the wider crypto ecosystem.
He stated that these initiatives are merely the beginning of a long-term effort to encourage the U.S. government to make more ambitious advancements into crypto infrastructure.
Nazarov stated that this is a low-risk, efficient way to begin getting them involved in the blockchain ecosystem. “But personally, from my interactions with people in DC,” he added, “I can already see many steps beyond this happening.”
One such project, which Nazarov noted is a long-term goal rather than a near-term one, is convincing the U.S. government to use companies like Chainlink to transfer elections onto the blockchain.
The firm’s services can help ensure the accuracy and integrity of both public data, as demonstrated by the Commerce Department partnership, as well as internal data. Nazarov stated that the federal government has already shown “extreme” interest in this particular service.
He further explained that oracle networks can also resolve trust issues in situations where “different groups are in conflict over whether something occurred or not,” citing U.S. presidential elections as an example.
Nazarov stated that he has already had discussions with various groups in Washington about using blockchain systems to verify identities in American elections. He asserted that the technology needed for such an initiative is completely “ready to go,” and that its implementation rests solely on political will.
“It is not an issue of technology,” he stated, “but a political one.”
While the authority to determine voting logistics in U.S. elections is primarily held by state governments, President Trump has recently claimed the power to make such determinations himself, as demonstrated by his efforts to end mail-in voting.
His administration has consistently supported the adoption of crypto in various applications. This is a means of demonstrating Trump’s legitimacy as America’s inaugural “crypto president.”
Nazarov stated that identity and privacy are contentious political issues in the United States, a factor that could impede the adoption of an automated system for verifying the identification of U.S. citizens.
In recent years, for instance, the Republican Party has vehemently opposed the creation of an American central bank digital currency, or CBDC. Its potential to enable the federal government to monitor citizens’ payments is the reason cited for this opposition.
However, the Trump administration has also employed methods to address policy priorities that have involved the sensitive topic of identity and identity verification. Widespread concern has been stirred up in recent months due to aggressive deportation raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), leading to fears that even legal American residents should always carry identification to avoid being wrongfully detained.
On Monday, a U.S. Supreme Court ruling was made that granted ICE the authority to detain individuals based on controversial factors, including race, occupation, accent, and fluency in Spanish.
