Blockchain Papers

Vikas Khare, Monica Bhatia, Miraj Ahmed Bhuiyan

No abstract is available for this record.

Tomoyuki Tateno, Naoki Ishibashi, Yasushi Kiyoki

The Paris Agreement of 2015 has prompted countries to accelerate their efforts to become carbon neutrality efforts, which meant reducing CO2 emissions to virtually zero. Limiting global warming to less than 1.5°C by 2050 rely on technologies that remove CO2 from the atmosphere faster than humans release it. This implies that CO2 will be removed at a rate of 1-30 gigaton per year by 2050. Carbon Capture Storage / Sequestration (CCS) and Utilization (CCU) are concepts and technologies that collect emitted CO2 store it permanently underground, or recycle it as energy or chemicals for use in manufacturing and other economic activities. CCS and CCU have been discussed globally, but have not reached local and practical levels. Currently planned large-scale CCS requires significant government investment and new technological developments for capture, transport, and storage / sequestration, therefore implementation is expected to start in the second half of 2030 towards the 2050 goal. The need to start acting now where possible rather than waiting for the distant future, makes it important to implement CCS and CCU on a small scale and build towards future scale-up as an immediate solution. This study proposes a support method and system to help companies that emit large amounts of CO2 such as power plants, cement, petrochemicals, and steel industries, to decide how to treat their CO2 emissions in the context of decarbonization. In this study, a Simple, Measurable, Attainable, Relative, and Time-Bound (SMART) decision support method and Direct Air Capture Location and Cost Simulator (DLCS) system were developed to provide a solution to the Negative Emission 5W1H “What, Who, Which, When, Why, and How” from the perspective of a company that emits CO2. A prototype model with parameter settings was proposed based on knowledge gained from practical experience. The functionality of the SMART method and DLCS system was confirmed by applying sample data from the actual data of the ‘Tokyo Region’ as a Proof of Concept (PoC). In this PoC, characteristics of direct air capture which is a critical technology for negative emissions, were verified. The core of the SMART and DLCS model entails combinatorial optimization, distance calculation, cost estimation, and market projection including constraint solution.

Manar Y. Oqbi, Dhabia M. Al-Mohannadi

Sustainable industrial development depends on optimizing resource and energy integration within Eco-industrial parks (EIPs), combined with stringent carbon emissions reduction policies. The main challenge is ensuring transparency, accountability, and data privacy while optimizing the conversion of raw materials and energy into valuable products and controlling emissions within EIPs. This research introduces an innovative framework to design optimized EIPs and deploy a blockchain-enabled trading platform for resources and emissions management, tackling these key issues. The proposed framework integrates EIPs with emission control policies, supported by two distinct smart contracts: one dedicated to blockchain-based resource trading and another handling financial transactions related to emission control policies, including other regulations such as income tax. The resource trading platform fosters transparency, enabling accurate tracking of material and energy flows. Furthermore, the framework integrates an off-chain Mixed-Integer linear Programming model (MILP) to optimize EIP design and operations, which is seamlessly integrated with smart contracts on the Ethereum blockchain (BC) to ensure data privacy and traceability among processes to meet environmental targets. The model also determines emission reductions and investments in carbon capture technology, promoting operational efficiency. By incorporating identity verification and external entities for compliance, the framework ensures secure and regulated operations. Offering a powerful tool to decision-makers and authorities, this framework enhances comprehension of resource and emissions tracking, paving the way for the development of innovative policies and fostering regulatory compliance. This development promotes sustainable industrial activities and supports environmental goals.

Liyi Zeng, Zihao Zhang, Wei Xu, Zhaoquan Gu

Decentralized blockchains have grown into massive and Internet-scale ecosystems, collectively securing hundreds of billions of dollars in value. The complex interplay of technology and economic incentives within blockchain systems creates a delicate balance that is susceptible to significant shifts even from minor changes. This paper underscores the importance of conducting thorough, data-driven studies to monitor and understand the impacts of significant shifts in blockchain systems, particularly focusing on Ethereum’s groundbreaking builder–proposer separation (PBS) as a pivotal innovation reshaping the ecosystem. PBS revolutionizes Ethereum’s block production, entrusting builders with block construction and proposers with validation via blockchain consensus, with significant impacts on Ethereum decentralization, fairness, and security. Our empirical study reveals key insights, including the following: (a) A substantial 261% increase in proposer revenue underscores the effectiveness of PBS in promoting widespread adoption, significantly enhancing block rewards and proposer incomes. (b) The small profits garnered by builders, comprising only a 3.5% share of block rewards, raise concerns that the security assumptions based on builder reputation may introduce new threats to the system. (c) PBS promotes a more equitable distribution of resources among network participants by reducing proposer centralization and preventing centralization trends among builders and relays, thereby significantly enhancing fairness and decentralization in the Ethereum ecosystem. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the dynamics of Ethereum PBS adoption, exploring its effects on revenue redistribution among various participants and highlighting its implications for the Ethereum ecosystem’s decentralization.

Alexandre Pires Barbosa, Rodrigo Pereira dos Santos

O aquecimento global é o maior desafio da humanidade e a ciência da computação tem papel central na escalabilidade de soluções de impacto social. Organizações autônomas descentralizadas (do inglês, decentralized autonomous organization or DAO) se refere a um tema emergente que vem ganhando destaque devido ao crescimento de iniciativas colaborativas. Este trabalho propõe a investigação de governança descentralizada em ecossistemas de inovação social, com objetivo de acelerar a mitigação das emissões de gases de efeito estufa por meio da participação social. Potenciais modelos como artefatos resultantes podem estabelecer diretrizes e expressar relacionamentos entre os envolvidos para orquestrar diferentes interações por meio das DAO.

Manjot Singh Bhatia, Kishore Kumar Gangwani

No abstract is available for this record.

Mohammad Hossein Ronaghi, Azade Fallahi

In nations facing international pressures, such as sanctions, leaders should attempt to utilize advanced technologies more effectively, while fostering the skills and intelligence of the human resources, and enhancing public confidence in the use of emerging technologies in Industry 5.0. In this article our goal is to investigate the effect of acceptance and use of cryptocurrencies on the circular economy. The theoretical contribution of this research is to enrich the literature related to the factors affecting the adoption of digital currencies and its impact on the circular economy. Also, due to the importance of technology awareness in Industry 5, its effect on the adoption of digital currencies was evaluated. For several decades, Iran has been exposed to political and economic sanctions by the United Nations Security Council, the US, and the European Union (EU). Given the importance of natural resources in Iran's economy, and the presence of barriers regarding financial transactions, all manufacturing companies working in Iran were selected as the statistical population of the current study. The findings showed that variables like the realized ease of use, the realized efficiency, trust, technological intelligence and social influence have been effective on the acceptance and use of cryptocurrencies. Also, use of cryptocurrencies in manufacturing companies has had effect on the circular economy activities. The other research results revealed that the factor of economic sanction in the studied society might have effect on the use of cryptocurrencies and consequently companies’ circular economy. The policy-makers active in the field of the environment, and also managers of manufacturing companies by creating an infrastructure for financial exchange based on digital currency can provide the needed ground for production in line with the environment and sustainable resource management.

Feng Wang, lingrong zhang

The difficulty of regulating carbon trading due to information asymmetry and low consumer trust in low-carbon products are key factors hindering companies from reducing emissions. This paper examines a manufacturer-led secondary low-carbon supply chain consisting of a single supplier and a retailer, focusing on the impact of blockchain technology on carbon transaction costs and consumers’ low-carbon preferences. Utilizing Stackelberg game theory, the paper constructs a supply chain decision model for emission reduction, determining the payment matrix and analyzing the stable strategy for blockchain adoption through evolutionary game theory. The findings indicate that retailers’ adoption of blockchain technology significantly promotes emission reduction within the supply chain, whereas manufacturers’ adoption has minimal impact. Additionally, the study reveals that variations in blockchain adoption costs and carbon quotas result in multiple evolutionary stable strategies. Specifically, when blockchain adoption costs and carbon quotas are below certain thresholds, the system reaches a unique equilibrium where both parties adopt blockchain technology.

Ariel Chan, Chijuan Hu

As outlined in the Paris Agreement, the global commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 necessitates a multifaceted approach encompassing clean energy initiatives and carbon taxation.Higher education institutions, recognizing their role as key contributors to sustainability, are increasingly focusing on reducing their carbon footprint.The teaching laboratories, essential for various disciplines, contribute significantly to the university's carbon footprint.In this study, we applied the common practices of Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) in the industry to the Unit Operations Laboratory, which resembles the industrial settings yet focuses on teaching and learning that may not have set production scopes nor define operation conditions and processes (i.e. for learning purposes and study impact of various factors on common chemical processes).As learning is the main objective in undergraduate laboratories, LCA methodologies related to laboratory equipment and incorporating technical information on global climate initiatives, clean energy, and the Paris Agreement need to be followed, but some modifications to make such calculations possible.To illustrate the feasibility of this approach, a case study on bioethanol production through yeast fermentation and subsequent distillation processes is employed as a proof-ofconcept.This case study serves as a platform for estimating LCA and redesigning experiments with the aim of reducing the carbon footprint.Since not all chemical process units are designed the same (i.e.sizes, power/production capacity), this project is a collaborative effort internationally amongst universities with similar equipment but different sizes.The carbon footprint approaches, and the preliminary data collected can enable fine-tuning and test the robustness of the approaches and models.The Unit Operations Laboratory emerges as a valuable platform for students to assess their carbon footprint and actively engage in practical LCA applications.This research contributes to the broader goal of embedding sustainability principles within the educational framework, fostering a generation of professionals equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to address environmental challenges.

Hon Huin Chin, Petar Sabev Varbanov, Sharifah Rafidah Wan Alwi, Zainuddin Abdul Manan · 5 authors

No abstract is available for this record.

Atul Kumar Singh, V.R. Prasath Kumar

No abstract is available for this record.

Xugang Zhang, Shuangli Zhu, Shuqiao Dai, Zhigang Jiang · 6 authors

No abstract is available for this record.

Aurélien Bruel, Radu Godina

Industrial Symbiosis (IS) involves a network of organizations that exchange energy, materials, and by-products to lower production costs, reduce environmental impact, and conserve natural resources. Despite over two decades of extensive research into IS, its benefits are well known, but implementation remains challenging. This paper proposes utilizing blockchain technology (BCT) to digitize IS, making it more secure and transparent. First, drivers and barriers of BCT implementation in IS are identified. A smart contract architecture framework using Hyperledger Fabric is then proposed using the constructed theoretical background and abductive method. Finally, the paper discusses how this framework supports the implementation of BCT in IS by addressing its drivers and attempting to overcome its barriers. It is a resource for those seeking a comprehensive grasp of the foundational elements necessary for constructing a successful IS blockchain design, which is adaptable to all types of IS network configurations.

Inês A. Ferreira, Guido Palazzo, Helena Carvalho

A vibrant debate has been initiated around the potential adoption of blockchain technology for enhancing the development of industrial symbiosis networks, particularly for promoting the creation of additive symbiotic networks. Despite the potential benefits of trust creation and elimination of intermediary entities, adopting such innovative technologies promises to disrupt the current supply chains of those symbiotic networks. The literature on these topics is still beginning; thus, the present research intends to contribute. A framework for understanding the implications of adopting the blockchain technology in the supply chain structure (specifically, in the dependency dimension) of an additive symbiotic network was developed, considering a network theory lens. The case study method was deemed to be suitable for carrying out this research. A case study related to an additive symbiotic network is described in detail, with the development of two scenarios: scenario I “as-is” for the current state of the network and scenario II “to-be” considering the adoption of the blockchain technology. Results show that adopting blockchain technology impacts the supply chain structure of additive symbiotic networks. More specifically, there are implications for the power distribution among the network’s stakeholders.

Inês A. Ferreira, Radu Godina, António Pinto, Pedro Pinto · 5 authors

The role of new technologies such as additive manufacturing and blockchain technology in designing and implementing circular economy ecosystems is not a trivial issue. This study aimed to understand if blockchain technology can be an enabler tool for developing additive symbiotic networks. A real case study was developed regarding a circular economy ecosystem in which a fused granular fabrication 3D printer is used to valorize polycarbonate waste. The industrial symbiosis network comprised four stakeholders: a manufacturing company that produces polycarbonate waste, a municipality service responsible for the city waste management, a start-up holding the 3D printer, and a non-profit store. It was identified a set of six requirements to adopt the blockchain technology in an additive symbiotic network, bearing in mind the need to have a database to keep track of the properties of the input material for the 3D printer during the exchanges, in addition to the inexistence of mechanisms of trust or cooperation between well-established industries and the additive manufacturing industry. The findings suggested a permissioned blockchain to support the implementation of the additive symbiotic network, namely, to enable the physical transactions (quantity and quality of waste material PC sheets) and monitoring and reporting (additive manufacturing technology knowledge and final product's quantity and price). Future research venues include developing blockchain-based systems that enhance the development of additive symbiotic networks.

Wenhao Liu, Zhan Shu

No abstract is available for this record.

Patricia Wolf, Surabhi Verma, Mirko Koscina, Tin Jasak · 5 authors

Despite the scholarly consent that blockchain technology can play a central role for implementing circular economies (CEs) to arrive at cleaner consumption and production, the blockchain adoption rate by companies for this purpose is low. While this might be partly caused by technology maturity problems, scholars also recognize a lack of vision about blockchain technology applications that might assist companies in implementing CE business models. Particularly, we miss knowledge about consumerdesired future CE scenarios to help the understanding of the likelihood of consumer adoption. In this paper, we therefore ask: What are, from the perspective of future consumers, desirable far-future CEs that use blockchain technology? We present the findings of a study that analyzed 57 consumer-desired CE scenarios in 2041 in which blockchain is used. From the analysis, we identify four ideal types of consumer-desired CEs, and the blockchain use cases in them. Based on that, we discuss and conclude on value propositions for CE business models that companies can use to attract consumer participation and blockchain adoption in pro-circular shifts. Second, we aimed at gathering consumer visions that can guide the strategic investment of companies in the development of blockchain technology applications for efficient CE business models.

Radu Godina, Aurélien Bruel, Ângela Neves, Jo�ão Matias

In many cities and their surrounding environments, materials are wasted and underutilized. As a result, waste and energy recovery can play a critical role. The concept of circularity can be applied to urban environments and their areas of influence in order to stimulate Urban Industrial Symbiosis (UIS). As such, it is vital for cities to have a robust and trustworthy information management infrastructure. A blockchain-based system can provide the accountability the UIS networks need to become traceable, transparent and unchangeable for all the parties involved. Similar to the benefits that blockchain can provide supply chain networks, UIS could benefit from blockchain as well. In this article, we look at blockchain and Smart Contracts as a way to benefit UIS, what they can be used for, what the goals and potential limitations for their implementation are, and how those goals and limitations might influence UIS. Finally, through the implementation of modular blockchain architecture, an UIS blockchain model based on smart contracts is proposed.

Imaara Zulficar Ali

The epoch of great digital radicalization and transformation along with the breakthroughs in communication and information technology supplemented by artificial intelligence has approached already.With the rapid transformation in this technologically advanced era, we have entered an age of a revolution in finance with the emergence of the blockchain economy that has resulted in the creation of digital tokens.The non-fungible token (NFTs) is one such product of this technology, with its own digital marketplaces.Even though the NFTs have benefitted the circle of artists, the question is whether is it extending any advantage to the global community?The point of contention here is also how the NFTs have, despite their glorious appeal to budding artists, have had environmental implications.This paper adopts a digital ethnographic approach, exploring the commonalities in the lives of young people who engage in the NFT trading online, either as a seller, a buyer, or a collector.It further underpins the drawbacks of NFTs and the blockchain economy on the environment.In addition to that, the paper also looks into how the NFTs perpetuate the economy of appearances.

Theodoros Dounas, Wassim Jabi, Davide Lombardi

The presented research study tackles the topic of economic and material sustainable development in the built environment and construction industry by introducing and applying the concept and the potential of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) on blockchain within the early stages of the design process via the interface of common design software. We present a digital infrastructure layer for architectural assets and building components that can integrate with AEC supply chains, enabling a more effective and articulated development of circular economies. The infrastructure layer consists of a combination of topology graphs secured with a blockchain. The paper concludes with a discussion about the possibilities of material passports as well as circular economy and smart contracts as an infrastructure for whole lifecycle BIM and digital encapsulation of value in architectural design.

Stavros T. Ponis

The proliferation of industrialisation and its environmental consequences over the last decades dictate the need for transitioning to a “Circular Economy” (CE) business model with a view to balancing manufacturers’ economic prosperity and environmental sustainability. Business models based on “Industrial Symbiosis Networks” (ISNs), within which traditionally independent industries continually exchange energy, materials and by-products, with no or minimum waste produced, have the potential to proceed in this direction. However, due to various cultural, organisational and managerial barriers, their state of development in Greece, similarly to rest of the world, is very low. That is exactly where this paper sets its objectives, aiming to alleviate these barriers and contribute in establishing cross-sectoral synergies by introducing an innovative business model, supported by an exchange platform in the form of a blockchain-based B2B digital marketplace. The proposed business model will detail a plan for creating symbiotic relationships among manufacturing companies in Greece and will be supported by a blockchain-based marketplace, which will enable material, by-product and energy exchanges in a reliable and secure way. Blockchain will act both as an exchange platform and a trust mechanism, since its decentralised nature, which is manifested in all its capabilities, i.e. smart contracts, tokenisation etc., will increase the business model’s reliability and facilitate its adoption and market penetration. The successful implementation of the porposed business model will bring about a multifaceted positive impact ranging from its contribution to exceeding the current state of the art in the intersection of environmental science and information technology, to benefiting society and economy through fostering sustainable regional development.

Dan E. Kröhling, Ernesto Martínez

Industrial Symbiosis can evolve from a simple concept to a revolutionary practical approach where prosumer companies produce goods and provide services through automated negotiation of Smart Contracts by means of new technologies like Internet-of-Things (IoTs) and Blockchain in a Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Market. However, a symbiotic scheme of prosumers exchanging utility surpluses and industrial services gives rise to a great challenge: each company will only participate in the market if the motivation of increasing its own profits exists. I n t his work, each prosumer company is represented by a software agent that resorts to previously learned context-aware strategies for defining prior distributions. Then, strategies are adapted to different opponents when negotiating utility contracts by properly accounting for opponents’ preferences (private) and key contextual (public) information. Agents negotiating Smart Contracts can be readily implemented using Distributed Applications (dApps) over Ethereum/Solidity and digital currencies as the Ether.

Bill Wang, Wen Luo, Abraham Zhang, Zonggui Tian · 5 authors

No abstract is available for this record.

Sina Eslamizadeh, Amineh Ghorbani, Rolf Künneke, Margot Weijnen

The industrial sector plays a huge role in creating economic growth. While energy is vital for industries to thrive, various factors are undermining the availability of energy including phasing out of fossil fuels, CO2 emission caps and, the large gap between the fast developments of industrial clusters and the energy supply, especially in developing countries. Recently, enabled by renewable energy technologies, a transition process is taking place towards decentralized settings for energy provision where households in neighbourhoods initiate renewable electricity cooperatives. The question addressed in this research is if or to what extent the model of collective action deployed by citizen cooperatives is applicable to collaborations between industries in an industrial cluster. We identified the conditions for the establishment of Industrial Community Energy Systems (InCES) from a collective action perspective by using Ostrom’s Institutional Analysis and Development Framework. The case study selected is the industrial city of Arak, one of the largest and most diversified industrial clusters in Iran. Besides desk research, data was also collected by conducting semi-structured interviews and by holding stakeholder workshops. The results of this study highlight the importance of community spirit and trust for the establishment of InCES, unlike citizen cooperatives where finance and environmental attitude are essential. A transparent legal framework to resolve conflicts that might emerge in industrial partnerships is another crucial element given the many differences among industries such as differences in energy demand and in usage patterns.