Crypto21 August, 20262 min read
Digital Asset And American Idea Foundation Launch Canton RISE Benefit Pilot In Three US States
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Canton Network will distribute state-administered benefits across three states. RISE pilot aims to consolidate welfare benefits through blockchain.
5 outlets told this the same way.
RISE Pilot on Canton
Digital Asset and the American Idea Foundation announced a collaboration to support the launch of state RISE (Resources for Independence, Stability, and Employment) Pilot Benefit Distribution programs using Canton as the technology foundation. The pilot is scheduled to begin across three states in the first quarter of 2027, and it is subject to federal approvals, with the three participating states and the specific welfare programs not disclosed. Under the RISE model, multiple benefits can be combined into monthly or twice-monthly payments, with benefit levels automatically adjusted as families enter the workforce and household income increases.
The platform is intended to verify identity and participation requirements, support mobile access, help prevent fraud, and apply program rules to fund distribution and use. Authorized state agencies, nonprofit case managers, and independent research evaluators would have access to real-time transaction, participation, and compliance information to create an audit trail for oversight and evaluation.
Programmable Payments and Dashboards
The RISE pilots will test an integrated blockchain-based system for distributing food, child care, and cash benefits, with programmable payments across those categories. PR Newswire says the platform is intended to maintain a complete record of deposits, purchases, balances, declined transactions, participation requirements, and spending by benefit category. It also says authorized government partners can use program dashboards to review enrollment, pending approvals, task completion, payment eligibility, total funds distributed, and aggregate spending.
Digital Asset’s Yuval Rooz said, "Modern public infrastructure should combine strong controls with the ability to respond to people's circumstances in real time," linking the system’s real-time responsiveness to Canton. The Crypto Times similarly frames the effort as allowing policymakers to test, measure, and refine a benefit distribution model before any wider adoption.
Ryan and Rooz Back It
Paul Ryan, President and Founder of the American Idea Foundation, said, "Three decades ago, states led the way on welfare reform by testing new approaches and showing Washington what was possible," positioning the RISE pilot as a new state-led test. Ryan added that "By combining fragmented benefits, reducing penalties as families earn more, and rigorously measuring results," the pilots can help show what a modern safety net should look like. The announcement ties the program’s design to reducing penalties that can occur when beneficiaries’ incomes rise, while also noting that companies did not name the participating states or specify which benefit programs would be included.
“Three decades ago, states led the way on welfare reform by testing new approaches and showing Washington what was possible.”
The PR Newswire release describes the American Idea Foundation as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Janesville, Wisconsin, and founded by former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan. It also describes Digital Asset as the creator of the Canton Network and says Canton is the only public layer-one blockchain, framing the pilot as a first-of-its-kind modernization of state-run benefits.