Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the Department of State will play a key role in the implementation of an executive order on digital assets and its embassies worldwide will work with the private sector and international organizations to advance the development and use of digital assets in alignment with U.S. values.

Blinken, a 2021 Wash100 Award winner, said in a statement published Wednesday the department will launch efforts to help mitigate the risks posed by digital assets to consumers and investors, promote international cooperation and U.S. competitiveness and back the development and adoption of standards.

On Wednesday, President Joe Biden signed the executive order that directs the U.S. government to assess the potential benefits and risks of establishing a central bank digital currency and address other issues amid the rise in the adoption of cryptocurrencies and other digital assets.

With the new policy, the State Department will also help prevent illicit finance, counter corruption, preserve interoperability, safeguard against unlawful surveillance, support financial inclusion and defend privacy and exercise of human rights. 

Blinken said the EO reflects U.S. determination to shape and lead financial innovation to promote democratic values, foster prosperity and prevent abuse.

“Financial innovation can produce great benefit for society, but it needs the right guardrails to prevent harm,” he added.

The General Services Administration highlighted several cybersecurity and digital modernization initiatives that were funded through the American Rescue Plan signed in March 2021.

GSA said Thursday ARP provided $1 billion for the Technology Modernization Fund, which has invested about $320 million in nine projects, including efforts at the Office of Personnel Management, GSA, Department of Education, Selective Service System and other agencies to protect citizens’ personal data.

TMF also invested in initiatives to improve public-facing digital services, including the authentication and identity verification features in Login.gov and the Southwest Border Technology Integration Program.

The law allocated $150 million for the Federal Citizen Services Fund and GSA said investments include the launch of the U.S. Digital Corps to help diversify and strengthen the federal technology workforce.

Other investments are updating the website USA.gov to improve its function as a centralized resource of government services and information and providing resources to facilitate access of families to the child tax credit.

“A simple, streamlined and secure digital infrastructure is critical to delivering the services and benefits Americans need, and the American Rescue Plan took major strides toward that goal,” said GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan. “We look forward to building on this progress with reliable, secure, and intuitive digital services that improve the lives of all Americans.”

A Lockheed Martin official said the Missile Defense Agency used a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system to fire an advanced variant of the Patriot missile against a simulated target during a Feb. 24 test held at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, Defense News reported Thursday.

Scott Arnold, vice president of integrated air and missile defense at Lockheed’s missiles and fire control, said the test demonstrated that the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhanced or PAC-3 MSE missile can be integrated with the THAAD system, enabling warfighters to separately launch such missiles from a Patriot fire unit.

Arnold noted the demonstration shows that Patriot M903 launching stations and PAC-3 MSE interceptors can be fielded with the THAAD system using only the THAAD fire control and communications or TFCC and THAAD radar for support, giving U.S. forces a “critical multi-tier missile defense capability” to counter emerging and current threats.

Lockheed is the manufacturer of the THAAD system and PAC-3 MSEs.

The Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory is commercializing a range of carbon capture technologies as the government seeks to achieve net-zero carbon emissions in the energy sector by 2035.

NETL said Wednesday its Carbon Capture Program portfolio features technologies that are being licensed for commercial use in power and industrial plants.

One example is the Cryogenic Carbon Capture method, which cools down a plant’s waste stream then desublimates carbon dioxide into dry ice.

Sustainable Energy Solutions and other partners are investing $10.5 million in the technology under a cost-share agreement with DOE, which announced almost $5 million for CCC’s implementation at a Sugar Creek, Missouri-based cement plant. NETL will manage this cost-shared project, which explores how CCC can reduce CO2 emissions in cement production.

“With NETL oversight and guidance, projects can advance from the conceptual stage to pilot studies and eventually to the point where they are ready for licensing and commercial application,” said Krista Hill, a federal project manager at NETL.