Blockchain Bill of Lading

A blockchain bill of lading is an electronic bill of lading whose title transfer is recorded on a distributed ledger, giving each holder cryptographic possession of a single authoritative record. The approach drew on TradeLens (Maersk and IBM, launched 2018, discontinued March 2023) and platforms such as CargoX and WaveBL. Legal effect depends on a reliable system meeting the MLETR functional tests of singularity, control, and integrity; the underlying ledger is the mechanism, not the law. Most carriers now favor the interoperable DCSA eBL standard over single-platform tokens.