Digital Asset, Paul Ryan Foundation to Pilot Blockchain Benefits System on Canton Network

Digital Asset, the developer of the Canton Network, is partnering with former US House Speaker Paul Ryan's American Idea Foundation to launch a blockchain-based pilot for distributing state-administered benefits across three US states. Dubbed the RISE program, the initiative is expected to go live in the first quarter of 2027, pending federal approval. The pilot will merge multiple benefits into monthly or twice-monthly payments with built-in spending rules for categories such as food, child care, and cash.

Under the system, Canton's institutional blockchain infrastructure will coordinate permissions, transaction rules, and data access for participating agencies. The platform will automatically recalibrate benefit levels as household incomes fluctuate and enable agencies to monitor payments, balances, compliance data, and spending in real time. Digital Asset said Canton will enforce selective access controls to protect sensitive recipient information. Participating states and specific benefit programs have not yet been disclosed.

Ryan framed the pilot as a way to reduce the so-called "benefits cliff," where recipients lose eligibility as their earnings climb. "By combining fragmented benefits, reducing penalties as families earn more, and rigorously measuring results, these pilots can help show what a modern safety net should look like," he said. The project reflects a broader push by Digital Asset to expand Canton's government-related use cases beyond institutional finance.

Canton has already attracted major financial institutions. In April, Japan Securities Clearing Corporation, Mizuho, Nomura, and Digital Asset launched a proof of concept using Canton to tokenize Japanese government bonds as digital collateral for cross-border transactions under Japan's Financial Services Agency Payment Innovation Project. In July, Franklin Templeton and Virtu Financial used Canton to settle a tokenized US Treasury trade against USDCx via Tradeweb in what was described as an industry first. Canton's native token, Canton Coin (CC), has a market capitalization of roughly $4.1 billion, ranking it 23rd among cryptocurrencies according to CoinGecko data.