Share this article
US Government Awards $750k in New Blockchain Startup Grant
A blockchain startup from Virginia has received additional funding from the US Department of Homeland Security for ID and online access solutions.
By Stan Higgins
Updated Sep 13, 2021, 6:58 a.m. Published Sep 27, 2017, 5:30 p.m.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has awarded a grant of nearly $1 million dollars to a blockchain startup.
Virginia-based DigitalBazaar, according to a September 25 release from the DHS, received the $749,241 in funding through the Small Business Innovation Program (SBIR). The grant, the department said, is intended to fuel the development of "fit-for-purpose blockchains" for a number of use cases.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters
Specifically, the government said, the firm will work on a "flexible software ecosystem" to include "digital credentials and digital wallets to address a wide variety of identity management and online access use cases."
The software is being developed for the department's Homeland Security Enterprise initiative.
The news marks the third time DigitalBazaar has received funding through the SBIR. The startup was one of several recipients of funding in the summer of 2016, followed by an additional award in May of this year. To date, DigitalBazaar has received more than $1 million through the initiative.
In statements, government officials characterized their work with DigitalBazaar as being focused on research and development, serving as a way to explore applications of the tech within the DHS.
According to Doughlas Maughan, director of the department's Cyber Security Division:
"Blockchain technologies have the potential to revolutionize the way we manage online identity and access the internet. This R&D project will help bring this potential closer to reality."
Homeland Security image via Mark Van Scyoc/Shutterstock
Di più per voi
Cosa sapere:
- As of October 2025, GoPlus has generated $4.7M in total revenue across its product lines. The GoPlus App is the primary revenue driver, contributing $2.5M (approx. 53%), followed by the SafeToken Protocol at $1.7M.
- GoPlus Intelligence's Token Security API averaged 717 million monthly calls year-to-date in 2025 , with a peak of nearly 1 billion calls in February 2025. Total blockchain-level requests, including transaction simulations, averaged an additional 350 million per month.
- Since its January 2025 launch , the $GPS token has registered over $5B in total spot volume and $10B in derivatives volume in 2025. Monthly spot volume peaked in March 2025 at over $1.1B , while derivatives volume peaked the same month at over $4B.
Di più per voi
Bitcoin Rebounds to $93K From Post-Fed Lows, but Altcoins Remain Under Pressure
Downward pressure on bitcoin is losing steam, with the market stabilizing but not yet out of the woods, said one analyst.
Cosa sapere:
- Bitcoin rebounded from a sharp early selloff on Thursday to trade above $93,000 shortly after the close of U.S. stocks.
- The late-day gain in bitcoin came alongside a rebound in the Nasdaq from big morning losses; the tech index closed with just a 0.25% loss.
- Downward pressure on bitcoin is losing steam, said one analyst, but the market is not yet out of the woods.
Top Stories
