The European Commission's NGI TrustChain initiative has awarded €1.8 million in grants to 15 startups across Europe to combat online misinformation and false identities using blockchain technologies.

This funding marks the third cohort of the NGI TrustChain Project, which has allocated over €4.6 million to 43 companies since its inception.

Each selected startup will receive up to €117,000 in funding, chosen from a competitive pool of 162 applicants from ten different European countries.

Among the latest grant recipients are ZKorum from France, AI-MetaBloQ from Greece, and Compellio from Luxembourg, each offering innovative solutions in various sectors.

The initiative is particularly relevant amid increasing political, social, and military conflicts that are impacting online environments.

A primary goal of the initiative is to protect human rights and democratic processes from threats posed by misinformation and fake identities.

The initiative aims to help combat malicious online activities such as propaganda, radicalization, and terrorism by validating media authenticity.

The TrustChain initiative seeks to enhance public confidence in online activities through blockchain, identity, privacy, and decentralized technologies.

Sean Kane noted the widespread distrust in online information and emphasized the potential of the new grants to empower European blockchain startups in promoting trustworthy digital discussions.

Dr. Muttukrishnan Rajarajan from City, University of London highlighted the pressing need for trust in democracy amid the prevalence of misinformation and deepfakes.

The selected startups are focused on diverse solutions ranging from data management in life sciences to cryptography, food production transparency, digital community support, and AI development.

The announcement of these grants was published on July 31, 2024.