America has just made GDP immutable — 9 chains now store federal data
The U.S. Department of Commerce announced on August 28 that it has published data on gross domestic product (GDP) for the second quarter of 2025 on the blockchain — a first for a federal agency. The initiative began with data for July 2025, which showed a 3.3% annual growth rate, according to revised estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). Officials characterized this move as a milestone in the government's use of blockchain technology. The Department of Commerce stated:
This is the first instance of a federal agency publishing economic statistical data of this kind on the blockchain, and it is the latest way in which the Department is utilizing innovative technologies to safeguard federal data and promote it.
The Department implemented the SHA256 hash of the official GDP release document in transactions and smart contracts across nine blockchains — Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Tron, Stellar, Avalanche, Arbitrum One, Polygon PoS, and Optimism. “The Department published this hash on nine blockchains, either as a note or as data embedded in a smart contract, along with the main figure, as permitted by each chain,” the announcement explains. The measure was aimed at verifying the integrity of the document and, where allowed, included the main GDP growth figure.
Chainlink and Pyth oracles were involved in further dissemination of the data, while Coinbase, Gemini, and Kraken provided infrastructure support. Smart contracts were compiled using Solidity v0.8.30 for the Prague fork of Ethereum and v0.8.24 elsewhere. Coinbase emphasized the benefits of transparency, posting on the social media platform X: “We are proud to partner with the Department of Commerce on crypto infrastructure for this project. Data on the blockchain = higher transparency + better accessibility.”
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, referring to the broader political narrative, stated: “It is more appropriate for the Department of Commerce and President Donald Trump, the Crypto President, to publicly release economic statistical data on the blockchain.” He added:
We are making the economic truth of America immutable and accessible worldwide like never before, cementing our role as the blockchain capital of the world. And everyone must acknowledge that the GDP growth of 3.3% is impressive.
The Department clearly stated that it does not endorse any specific blockchain or related services and intends to expand the program to eventually include more datasets, protocols, and distribution partners.
