Title: The White House Is Going to Put Government Statistics on the Blockchain (Yeah, We Don’t Know Why Either)
In a bizarre move, the White House has announced plans to put government statistics on the blockchain. Yes, you read that right – the administration is considering utilizing blockchain technology to distribute government data.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick made the surprising announcement during Tuesday’s cabinet meeting at the White House. According to reports, he stated that the Department of Commerce will start publishing its statistics on the blockchain, allowing people to utilize this decentralized ledger for information dissemination.
When asked about the reasoning behind this move, Lutnick was uncharacteristically brief, explaining that they are simply “ironing out all the details.” The explanation raises more questions than it answers. What problem does putting government statistics on the blockchain solve? It’s hard to imagine how such a move would be anything but redundant.
In fact, regular databases or spreadsheets could easily accomplish this task with greater efficiency and effectiveness. Blockchain technology has been touted as a solution for various issues in the past, but its actual applications are limited and often exaggerated.
It is worth noting that President Trump has been quite vocal about his support for cryptocurrency and blockchain, often praising their potential benefits. This could potentially be a factor behind this decision, as his administration’s ties to crypto are well-documented.
In related news, the White House has also come under fire for its handling of government statistics after Trump fired the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics earlier this month due to alleged data manipulation. It remains to be seen how the government will address the controversy surrounding these statistics and what steps they will take to restore public trust in the process.
The meeting, which clocked in at over three hours and 15 minutes, was filled with other… interesting topics.
Source: gizmodo.com