Towards a Triple Bottom Line Perspective of Blockchains in Supply Chain

The blockchain technologies underlying cryptocurrencies have recently gained considerable attention for having potential applications in other fields. This is due to potential benefits such as decentralisation, immutability, disintermediation, transparency and traceability. One of the earliest and most active industries to explore blockchain technologies has been the supply chain and logistics industry. However, the literature in this area is fragmented and lacks an overarching framework to integrate the findings and systematically guide research and practice. This paper analyses 37 recent studies retrieved from the literature. The analysis synthesises the themes into a cohesive conceptual framework by taking the concept of Triple Bottom Line (TBL) as an overall perspective. This framework will assist both practitioners and researchers in better understanding the issues involved in implementing blockchains in the supply chain context, by not only considering potential operational economic benefits but also social and environmental impacts.