CustoDPP: Decentralized Traceability System for Supply Chains Using Blockchain Technology

The primary goal of this project was to design a solution enabling various participants in a supply chain—such as manufacturers, auditors, and distributors— to share and record product traceability information without relying on a centralized service or external agent. This ensures that all stakeholders can independently access and add data securely and reliably.

The system’s key innovation lies in its decentralized nature: instead of operating on a single server, it functions across hundreds of interconnected computers that do not need to trust one another. Thanks to the custom-designed algorithm, the system maintains data integrity as long as a proportion of these computers are operating correctly. This design makes it highly resilient to failures and cyberattacks.

This type of solution paves the way for more secure, decentralized, and resilient supply chains, enabling more complex interactions and contributing to the development of a circular economy. As a case study, the project applied this system to the supply chain of electric vehicle batteries. It demonstrated how recycling facilities can access detailed, specific information about each battery to optimize recycling processes, all without compromising the confidentiality of data provided by other supply chain participants.

This project was done during my research internship at the Alterantive Energies and Atomic Comission research laboratory in Palaiseau, France for my Master's project.

Project abstract

Traceability poses a significant challenge in modern supply chain systems. The Digital Product Passport (DPP) aims to enhance recyclability and sustainability practices by aggregating product information. How to design an e!ective DPP System, however, remains a significant challenge. In this paper, we propose a decentralized, customizable, and self-deployable DPP system utilizing smart contracts and a distributed file system. To achieve verifiable traceability of supply chain documents within a decentralized framework, we introduce a tokenization algorithm employing Fractional Non-Fungible Tokens (F-NFTs) for DPP assets and an event-driven system for their lifecycle management. Furthermore, we present an implementation of a DPP System and discuss key design decisions and considerations essential for developing such systems.