Blockchain for Logistics Data and Supply Chain Management
Sector: Tertiary sector · Industry: Information technology · Organisation: DHL · Maturity level: Pilot
DHL is developing blockchain solutions for various logistics areas including spare parts supply, e-commerce optimization, and customs processing. The company is investing a total of 100 million euros in blockchain applications for logistics until 2025. The technology enables transparent and secure data management in complex supply chains with multiple partners.
Documentation status
- Project status: Pilot
- Evidence: Evidence high
- Editorial review: Ufuk Avci, 15 April 2026
Description
Blockchain-based IT data management protects critical system data from manipulation. Guardtime (Estonia, 2007) is the market leader with KSI (Keyless Signature Infrastructure) — a blockchain-based system for data integrity proofs.
KSI technology: Instead of a normal blockchain, Guardtime uses a hash-tree architecture that is extremely scalable — over 1 billion signatures per day. Each data element receives a cryptographic timestamp proving that the data existed in a certain form at a specific time. Applications: Estonia secures its entire state infrastructure (tax data, health data, digital identities) with KSI; NATO tests Guardtime for the integrity of military data and communication. IT applications: software version control (build processes are signed, unauthorised changes detectable), database audit trails (every transaction signed), configuration management (firmware and configurations are signed after every change). The German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) recommends blockchain-based audit trails for critical infrastructure operators (KRITIS).
Perspectives
B2B — organisations perspective
IT departments and critical infrastructure operators can structurally exclude attempts to conceal cyberattacks with blockchain-secured audit logs — every system manipulation leaves an immutable trace.