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Paul Ryan Foundation Puts State Benefits on Canton Blockchain in 2027
The RISE program will use the Canton Network to consolidate welfare payments across three US states, marking one of the most ambitious government blockchain deployments to date.
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Former House Speaker Paul Ryan's American Idea Foundation is partnering with Digital Asset to run welfare payments on the Canton Network. The pilot, called RISE (Resources for Independence, Stability, and Employment), will consolidate state-administered benefits across three U.S. states starting in the first quarter of 2027.
The system uses Canton Network, a public Layer-1 blockchain built by Digital Asset for institutional use. It's designed to handle sensitive government data with privacy protections built into the protocol. Unlike Ethereum or Solana, Canton has no native token. No trading, no tokenization, no DeFi layer. Digital Asset raised $135 million in 2025 and secured additional funding in 2026.
The core idea is to replace the messy patchwork of state benefit programs–food assistance, childcare subsidies, cash aid–with unified monthly payments. Recipients currently navigate multiple agencies, separate application processes, and different payment schedules. RISE aims to consolidate all of that into a single system.