Blockchain Adoption in Modern Supply Chains

Abstract

Modern supply chains depend on records exchanged among firms that may use incompatible systems and have different incentives to share data. Blockchain offers a shared, tamper-evident transaction history, but deployment value depends on reliable physical-to-digital links and sustained participation. This narrative review examines the architecture, use cases, adoption barriers and evaluation measures for blockchain in supply-chain management. It draws on technical guidance, a peer-reviewed systematic review and two documented commercial initiatives. A comparison table distinguishes blockchain from conventional shared databases, while an illustrative chart shows why incomplete partner coverage can limit end-to end visibility. Walmart’s leafy-greens program illustrates a traceability driven implementation; the closure of TradeLens shows the importance of commercial viability. Neither case establishes a universal effect size. The article recommends starting with a specific coordination problem, defining interoperable event data and access rules, and testing whether an existing database could meet the same goal. The evidence suggests that governance and data quality are at least as important as ledger design [1–5].