Digital Asset, the company behind the Canton Network, and the American Idea Foundation, associated with former US House Speaker Paul Ryan, have announced plans for a blockchain-based pilot program aimed at modernizing the distribution of state-administered public benefits. The initiative, called RISE, or Resources for Independence, Stability, and Employment, is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2027 in three US states, pending federal approvals.

The partners described RISE as an effort to address challenges in a fragmented benefits system where multiple programs often operate with separate eligibility rules, payment schedules, and income thresholds. Under the proposed model, states would consolidate assistance from several programs into monthly or twice-monthly payments. Spending would be directed into categories such as food, child care, and cash, while preserving the underlying rules of each original program.

How the RISE System Would Operate

Canton Network would manage the rules, permissions, and transactions required to distribute benefits. The system is designed to automatically recalculate benefit levels when household income changes, with the goal of reducing abrupt reductions or penalties that can occur as recipients increase their earnings. Participating agencies would gain access to data on payments, balances, spending patterns, and compliance through the network, while controls limit exposure of sensitive personal information.

Authorized parties, including government agencies, nonprofit case managers, and independent researchers, would receive role-based views of relevant records. These could include enrollment details, payment eligibility, transaction histories, declined purchases, and spending by category. Digital Asset stated that the network’s permission framework would allow coordination of transactions and shared rules without broad disclosure of confidential data.

The evaluation process is expected to examine outcomes related to employment, earnings, education, training, housing, and overall household stability. Governments and independent evaluators would receive ongoing transaction and compliance information during the pilot rather than relying solely on retrospective reviews. Results from the initial three states could guide later adaptations to different state rules, case-management systems, and recipient groups.

Scope and Outstanding Details

Neither the three participating states nor the specific benefit programs included in the pilot have been identified. The partners stressed that the project remains contingent on federal approval, which could affect timelines, payment structures, spending categories, and reporting requirements. Public benefits programs in the United States involve layered federal and state regulations, so any changes to calculation, disbursement, or spending constraints typically require regulatory clearance.

Yuval Rooz, co-founder and chief executive of Digital Asset, noted that Canton enables approved participants to coordinate transactions and share rules while retaining the privacy and control needed by institutions. The RISE pilot would apply the network’s existing permission system to public-benefit administration rather than its more established use in capital-market settlement.

Canton Network’s Expanding Applications

The announcement extends Canton’s activity beyond institutional finance into public-sector administration. Recent projects on the network have included a proof of concept testing Japanese government bonds as digital collateral involving Japan Securities Clearing Corporation, Mizuho, Nomura, and Digital Asset, supported under Japan’s Financial Services Agency Payment Innovation Project. In another case, Canton facilitated settlement of a tokenized US Treasury trade between Franklin Templeton and Virtu Financial, with Tradeweb handling execution and price discovery against USDCx in real time.

Additional activity has involved private stablecoin settlement tests and Japanese bond repo trials. Canton Coin, the network’s native asset used to pay transaction fees through its Global Synchronizer, has a market capitalization of approximately $4.1 billion to $4.2 billion and ranks around 23rd among cryptocurrencies.

The partners indicated that successful early results could inform further pilots tailored to varying state frameworks. Key remaining steps include selection of the participating states and benefit programs, along with the specific conditions attached to any federal approvals governing data access, auditing, and compliance reporting.