What the study found
The study found that blockchain-enabled supply chain financing (BCF) solutions are linked to specific financing frictions, and that these links are not random. Transactional friction was the most prominent, while bankruptcy costs and taxes were rarely associated with blockchain features in the sample.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that understanding how blockchain features align with particular financing frictions may improve the chances of success in supply chain finance. They also suggest that the study provides a way to use AI to evaluate large amounts of unstructured data in operations management research.
What the researchers tested
The researchers used a theory elaboration approach to examine which financing frictions BCF solutions aim to address, which blockchain features they use, and how those frictions and features are associated. They analyzed 312 documents describing 11 BCF solutions, including both successful and failed cases, and used AI-based large language models to identify patterns.
What worked and what didn't
The analysis identified seven types of financing frictions and three key blockchain features. Transactional friction and hidden actions frictions were linked to all three blockchain features, while other frictions were usually linked to only one. Tokenization was used sparingly and appeared only in successful BCF solutions in this sample.
What to keep in mind
The findings come from 11 BCF solutions described in 312 documents, so the scope is limited to that sample. The abstract does not provide further limitations beyond this scope.
Key points
- The study examined 312 documents describing 11 blockchain-enabled supply chain financing solutions.
- Transaction-related friction was the most prominent friction in the sample.
- Bankruptcy costs and taxes were rarely associated with blockchain features in the analyzed cases.
- Tokenization was used sparingly and appeared only in successful BCF solutions.
- Transactional and hidden actions frictions were linked to all three blockchain features.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Blockchain features align with specific supply chain financing frictions
- Authors:
- Sairam Sriraman, Sairam Sriraman, David Wuttke, Volodymyr Babich, Volodymyr Babich, Eve D. Rosenzweig
- Institutions:
- Emory University, Georgetown University, Technical University of Munich, Technical University of Munich
- Publication date:
- 2026-01-29
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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