Blockchain in business: useful use cases and a method for deciding

Companies rarely lack ideas when they discover blockchain. Traceability, payments, identity, tokenisation and automated contracts: the list of possibilities is long.

The real challenge is separating relevant use cases from projects that could be implemented more simply with a conventional database.

Blockchain becomes interesting when a process involves several organisations, different interests and a need to share information without giving one participant complete control. In other situations, it can add complexity without creating enough value.

What blockchain actually contributes

A blockchain is a shared ledger whose updates follow common rules. Participants have a consistent record of transactions and can verify entries without relying solely on a partner’s database.

Depending on the project, it can provide:

• a tamper-resistant history
• better synchronisation between several parties
• automation of certain rules through smart contracts
• representation and transfer of digital assets
• fewer manual reconciliations between systems

It does not guarantee that every piece of data entered is accurate. If incorrect information enters the system, the blockchain may simply preserve it durably. The quality of sources, sensors and validation procedures remains essential.

Five questions that indicate a project is worth examining

Before discussing technology, determine whether the process meets several of the following conditions:

1. Several organisations need to share the same history.
2. Participants do not want one party to control all the data.
3. Current checks and reconciliations cost time or money.
4. Certain rules could be executed automatically.
5. Tracing an asset, document or right is important.

The more of these conditions are present, the more justified a blockchain study may be.

This framework avoids a common bias: looking for a problem after deciding to use blockchain. A serious approach starts the other way round. Begin with a business friction, then compare the possible solutions.

Six practical use cases

1. Product and component traceability

A supply chain brings together suppliers, manufacturers, carriers, distributors and inspection bodies. Each retains its own data, which can slow checks and create disagreements.

A shared ledger can record selected stages: the origin of a material, processing, quality control, transport or sale. The objective is not to make the entire supply chain public, but to give authorised parties a common, auditable history.

Carrefour has, for example, deployed blockchain uses for the traceability of several food supply chains. In luxury goods, Aura Blockchain Consortium offers brands infrastructure for authenticity, traceability and digital product passports.

Value nevertheless depends on the quality of the data collected. A QR code and a blockchain do not by themselves prove a product’s true origin. Collection, controls and responsibilities must be organised.

2. Digital passports and proof of authenticity

A digital product passport can bring together a product’s origin, characteristics, maintenance history, repairs and changes of ownership.

In luxury goods, electronics, automotive and industrial equipment, this can support after-sales service, resale, anti-counterfeiting and recycling.

Blockchain connects a physical product to a digital history. The main challenge is the link between them: an authentic identifier must not be reusable on a fraudulent product.

3. Business payments and settlement

International payments can involve several banks, currencies, controls and processing windows. Stablecoins, tokenised deposits and DLT infrastructure can enable more continuous and programmable settlement.

In May 2026, Project Agorá, led by the Bank for International Settlements with several central banks and financial institutions, showed that a tokenised architecture could improve certain wholesale cross-border settlements. The project notably used central-bank reserves and tokenised commercial-bank deposits.

For a company, the use case is not simply “pay faster”. Currency, compliance, accounting, conversion, liquidity and integration with existing treasury systems all require analysis.

4. Tokenisation of financial or physical assets

A company can represent securities, receivables, funds, commodities or certain rights linked to physical assets on a blockchain.

Tokenisation can facilitate fractionalisation, issuance, distribution and settlement. It can also make an asset compatible with other digital financial services.

In France, the AMF, Banque de France and French Treasury were working in 2026 on debt securities, tokenised funds and digital settlement assets. The subject has moved from experimentation towards infrastructure design.

Creating a token must nevertheless be distinguished from creating a market. A tokenised asset is not automatically liquid.

5. Automation of shared processes

A smart contract can trigger an action when defined conditions are met. It might release payment after delivery is confirmed, automatically divide a sum among beneficiaries or apply a governance rule.

The benefit comes mainly from reducing reconciliation and validation tasks. To work correctly, the contract needs reliable information. If a condition depends on a real-world event, an external system must transmit the data to the blockchain.

Exceptions must also be planned. Traditional contracts deal with disputes, force majeure and ambiguous situations. An automated process should retain human oversight when the context requires it.

6. Certification, audit and sharing evidence

An organisation can record the digital fingerprint of a document, diploma, certificate or report. The blockchain does not necessarily hold the document itself. It preserves evidence that can verify it has not changed since registration.

This can support attestations, quality checks, professional certification and document exchange between partners.

Personal or confidential data should not be written directly to a public blockchain. A well-designed architecture separates the evidence, sensitive data and access rights.

What the end of TradeLens can teach companies

TradeLens, developed by Maersk and IBM, aimed to create a common platform for documentary exchanges in maritime transport. The technology worked and the network brought together many participants. Yet the project was discontinued in 2023 because it had not reached the necessary level of commercial viability.

The case is instructive. A shared blockchain creates value only if enough parties adopt it and accept a common governance model.

Success therefore depends as much on the ecosystem as on the code:

• who funds the infrastructure
• who decides the rules
• who can join the network
• how competitors gain confidence
• what concrete benefit each participant receives

A good technical prototype does not compensate for an inadequate adoption model.

How to measure return on investment

The ROI of a blockchain project should not depend on the future value of a token or a general promise of innovation.

It can be measured with operational indicators:

• time spent on reconciliation
• number of disputes
• settlement time
• cost of verifying a document
• error rate
• time needed to trace a product
• cost of onboarding a new partner
• level of fraud or counterfeiting detected

The baseline should be quantified before the pilot. Without measuring the initial situation, proving the solution’s value becomes difficult.

A four-step method

1. Map the current process

Identify the participants, data exchanged, delays, approvals and bottlenecks.

2. Compare several architectures

Assess a conventional database, a shared API, a trusted intermediary and a blockchain solution. Retain blockchain only when it offers an identifiable advantage.

3. Test within a limited scope

Choose one flow, product or small group of partners. The pilot should answer precise hypotheses and produce measurable results.

4. Prepare for adoption

Train teams, define governance, integrate existing systems and organise incident management. Deployment is a transformation project, not merely an IT project.

Public blockchain or permissioned network?

A public blockchain allows many participants to verify transactions. It offers broad openness and infrastructure that is already available.

A permissioned network restricts access to authorised organisations. It can support confidentiality, governance and compliance in a business-to-business context.

There is no universal answer. Some architectures combine private infrastructure for operations with a public blockchain for anchoring evidence or settlement.

The choice depends on the data, participants, required openness and regulatory constraints.

In summary

Blockchain can be useful when a process crosses the boundaries of a single organisation and participants need a common, verifiable and programmable ledger.

It adds little value when one company alone controls the process, no trust issue exists or a well-designed database already meets the need.

The best project is not the one that uses the most technology. It is the one that reduces a measurable friction with governance the participants accept.

Assess a use case

Would you like to determine whether a process warrants a blockchain study, structure a masterclass or train teams in practical uses? An initial conversation can clarify the need before any solution is considered.