Evaluating Potential Applications Of Distributed Ledger Technology For Safeguards

Evaluating Potential Applications of Distributed Ledger Technology for Safeguards Distributed ledger technology (DLT) – widely referred to as blockchain technology – has the potential to streamline and create greater efficiencies in the management of nuclear safeguards. Small-scale prototypes are testing the technology and demonstrating ways it can improve the integrity, security, and verification of specific safeguards-related information transactions, such as transit matching. Larger-scale proofs will provide more answers regarding the potential for DLT to be applied more broadly to nuclear material accountancy while nontechnical hurdles such as legal and political barriers and deployment costs are questions surrounding the potential for its adoption. In 2019, the Stimson Center, the Stanley Center for Peace and Security, and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) partnered on a two-day workshop in Vienna, Austria, focusing on understanding nontechnical factors that may hinder – or motivate –DLT acceptance. The team published a report from that workshop that highlights the challenges and opportunities associated with deploying DLT for safeguards purposes. The report also explores potential user requirements that should be considered if stakeholders decide to move forward with designing a DLT platform for safeguards verification and analysis. This paper will provide a brief description of the technology, summarize ongoing research activities that explore national security applications for DLT, and highlight the key findings that were discussed during the 2019 workshop. As such, this paper culminates two multi-year research projects at the aforementioned organizations, thereby summarizing current perspectives on DLT applications for safeguards and future research trajectories.