Santa Cruz, a county located in the state of California (United States), will begin implementing blockchain technology to improve its government services, such as bicycle and recreational vehicle registration.
Santa Cruz County joins the list of states and regions in the United States that are adopting new technologies to optimize their systems and services, while encouraging the development of innovation.
Recently, local authorities in Santa Cruz County released a release reporting on the creation of a blockchain-based digital wallet from which they will facilitate citizens' access to services, such as bicycle registration and recreational vehicle parking registration, as well as the digitization of official documents.
Santa Cruz County will present its digital wallet and begin implementing blockchain technology in July of this year, as part of a pilot program with which local authorities seek to offer greater accessibility to government services.
The pilot program was approved by the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors, who voted in favor of creating a blockchain-based digital wallet to build more efficient and transparent services.
In 2022, California lawmakers had passed House Bill No. 786 authorizing counties to use blockchain to issue vital records such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, and death certificates. This bill was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom on September 28.
Santa Cruz adopts blockchain technology
Santa Cruz County will test the potential of blockchain to optimize several of its basic services, although in the future, it plans to extend the technology to a greater number of government services, such as the distribution of construction permits, the registration of facilities in parks and pet licensing, among others.
The company responsible for developing the digital wallet for the county will be Humbl Inc., focused on the development of blockchain infrastructure and the creation of a network of digital financial services.
Regarding the project, Zach Friend, Santa Cruz County Supervisor, stated that the registration and digitization of documents and the provision of services digitally represents an important step towards the construction of a new system that allows offering greater convenience to residents while Community equity and access is improved.
The blockchain-based digital wallet will be integrated into the county's “My Santa Cruz County” mobile app.
Data privacy and security concerns
Although the development of a state digital wallet expands the adoption and use of new technologies, it also raises new concerns about privacy and security in the management of user data.
As Becky Seinbruner commented, the personal data of citizens who use the digital wallet that the county will launch in the middle of this year can be the target of hacks and cyberattacks that leave users exposed.
To address the problem, the Humbl company noted that it is implementing strict security controls to manage data reliably and ensure users' peace of mind.
In addition to Santa Cruz County, other local governments, such as those in Wyoming, Texas, Colorado, Illinois and Washington, also are advancing the adoption of blockchain technology to simplify its operations, optimize its internal processes and provide citizens with more reliable and efficient services.
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