The Discontinuation of TradeLens and What Can Be Learned: Cryptographic Requirements For a New Global Maritime Logistics Infrastructure

In this paper, we examine the recent discontinuation of the blockchain-based platform TradeLens developed by IBM and Maersk, where many obstacles of maritime logistics have been addressed. With the discontinuation there are lessons to be learned and there is room for new approaches. We elaborate important cryptographic properties and discuss some issues of a global maritime logistics infrastructure. In particular, we address three points: (1) Centralization, federation and power struggles within the network; (2) zero-knowledge properties and applications for maritime logistics; (3) the use of post-quantum secure cryptographic primitives.