Colorado Hires Groundbreaking Blockchain Role

Published: May 23, 2019

COLORADOElectionsGeneral Government ServicesGovernorGOVERNOR, OFFICE OF THE (COLORADO)Information TechnologyInformation TechnologyInnovationPolicy and Legislation

The Colorado Governor’s Office of Information Technology announced the appointment of the state’s first ever Blockchain Solution Architect.

Thaddeus (Thad) Batt was recently appointed the state of Colorado’s first ever Blockchain Solution Architect, which was made possible by state legislation passed in 2018 pushing the state to explore distributed ledger technologies, such as blockchain, to protect sensitive information. 2018’s SB 18-086, “Cyber Coding Cryptology for State Records,” was passed last year, mandating that programs be developed in pursuit of utilizing blockchain-based technology. Batt, in this new position, will spearhead this initiative.

Batt will lead the state’s blockchain program and explore how these technologies can be used to help protect the data entrusted to the state of Colorado. He will also develop the state’s blockchain infrastructure, educate others on the value of the technology, and identify optimal criteria for usage of blockchain in applications. He also will work with the state OIT to identify blockchain use cases, stand up pilot programs, and evaluate results.

Colorado, like many states, has already shown interest in exploring and utilizing blockchain technologies. A different Bill, HB 19-1247, was introduced earlier this year which would compel government agencies to consider the use of blockchain for managing the state’s agriculture supply chain. Additionally, although unrelated to these pieces of legislation, the City of Denver is allowing overseas voters to cast votes for a local election using the app Voatz, which is based on blockchain encryption. Although these technologies are largely still in the exploratory phase in government, Colorado appears to be embracing the technology, and vendors working with this technology may find it beneficial to keep tabs on Colorado’s progress in this area over the coming years.

Source: Colorado Governor’s Office of Information Technology