Monday, June 16, 2025
Home News Forbes: How Maersk's Bad Business Model Is Breaking Its Blockchain

Forbes: How Maersk’s Bad Business Model Is Breaking Its Blockchain

Maersk—the largest shipping container company in the world—took the bold step of forming a blockchain-enabled platform called TradeLens to transform the shipping industry. However, up until now, only a single shipper has signed on to use the platform, and it’s my view that few others will join. Although the concept is a natural fit for blockchain, the business model threatens to doom the project.

Maersk and IBM created the joint venture that owns TradeLens (including the platform’s intellectual property), and there’s the rub: Because Maersk is an owner of the joint venture, it will enjoy a benefit not shared by the other participants on the blockchain platform. That is, Maersk will be enriched from the growth of the actual TradeLens platform, while the other participants on the network will not.

Why would Maersks’ competitors want to use a technology platform (and fledgling at that!) that would enrich their biggest competitor? 

There are fantastic benefits to be had from a blockchain-enabled shipping platform: cost savings, reduced error, increased profit, etc. However, these benefits can’t outweigh the undeniable reality facing Maersk’s competitors: to join the TradeLens network is to make Maersk more profitable.

Read the full article of Andrea Tinianow on Forbes.

 





Latest Posts

CMB.Tech to merge with Golden Ocean

CMB.Tech is set to merge with fellow listed company Golden Ocean, a major dry bulk owner. CMB.Tech will be the surviving entity in the merger...

Idle containership fleet sees slight decline

In the two weeks leading up to 2 June, the global idle containership fleet saw a net reduction in capacity, despite a rise in...

ANL adjusts port rotation for MYNY service ahead of vessel replacement

ANL has announced a change in the port rotation for voyage MYNY 236N/237S due to internal operational requirements, ahead of the vessel's phase-out in...

Salvors move Wan Hai 503 away from Indian coast

The container ship Wan Hai 503, which suffered a serious fire on 9 June, has now been towed westwards away from Indian waters, after...

Port Houston partners with DSP for major EDI and database support project

DSP, through its US branch DSP America, has entered into a key agreement with Port Houston to provide critical processing and maintenance support for...
error: Content is protected !!